This doenjang jjigae makes a comforting and satisfying dinner with its umami broth and beefy note.
With May being Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, I wanted to feature a couple recipes from some of my favorite Asian cookbooks. The first is Korean World by Deuki Hong. It's been years since his first cookbook Koreatown where I got my first introduction to Korean food.
While browsing through Korea World, I was drawn to the doenjang jjigae. I had my fair share of doenjang jjigae at Korean BBQ joints but they were mediocre at best as part of the all you can eat deal. Chef Hong’s version is about minimal effort with maximal flavor. The doenjang jjigae is comforting and satisfying with an umami broth and beefy note. I also enjoyed the potatoes in the jjigae which paired well with the beef. The leftovers tasted even better the next day!
Ingredient Notes
- Doenjang: is a fermented soybean paste essential to Korean cuisine. It has a salty, earthy, and deeply savory flavor that’s used in stews (jjigae), soups (guk), marinades, and even desserts.
- Beef: for the beef, you can use boneless ribeye, short rib, or chuck. I find it easier to use pre-sliced beef that you would cook for hot pot like sliced Kobe beef, brisket, or beef chuck rolls.
How to Make the Jjigae
- Cook the beef. Saute the beef with garlic for about 5-6 minutes. Add doenjang, gochujang, and sugar for 2-3 minutes.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the cubed radish, cubed, potato, sliced onion, and scallions for 3 minutes.
- Simmer the stew. Add rice water to the mixture. Bring it to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Finish the soup. Add sliced tofu and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Make Ahead and Storage
Refrigerate any leftovers for up for 72 hours. Rewarm the doenjang jjigae in the microwave or on the stove for a few minutes before serving.
For more Korean recipes:
- Korean fried chicken wings
- Instant Pot Korean shrimp and grits
- Air fryer gochujang salmon
- Perilla spam kimbap
Doenjang Jjigae
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 ounces boneless beef ribeye, short rib, or chuck, slice into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
- ¼ cup doenjang
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 cup diced Korean radish or daikon
- 1 cup diced waxy potatoes (Yukon gold)
- ½ cup sliced onion, white or yellow
- ½ cup sliced scallion, white and green parts
- ½ Korean chile, thinly sliced (or jalapeno)
- 3 cups rice water or water
- 8 ounces firm tofu, sliced
- ½ cup kimchi for serving
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Saute the beef with garlic for about 5-6 minutes, until fully cooked.
- Add the doenjang, gochujang, and sugar and cook in beef fat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the cubed radish, cubed potato, sliced onion, scallion, and chile and cook, stirring often, until thick and reduced, about 3 minutes.
- Pour rice water over the mixture. Bring it to a boil over high heat then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Add sliced tofu and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer the jjigae to serving bowl while still hot and serve with rice and kimchi.
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