ketokimchi Archives - JIHAE KWON

Ingredients
5 lbs Korean radish
15 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp Korean fermented shrimp
1 tbsp Korean fermented shrimp brine
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 c Korean dried chili flakes
6 tbsp Lakanto Classic or Golden
1/2 tsp salt
1″ knob of ginger
5 oz garlic chives

Tools
cutting board
knife
large mixing bowl
disposable gloves
vegetable peeler

Optional
Mortar & Pestle

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You may have tried radish kimchi or what we like to call kkakdugi (double-k in the beginning represents a stronger, almost g-like sound) at your favorite Korean restaurants. I think the restaurants that serve the best kkakdugi are the ones that specialize in sullungtang (ox bone soup) because one can not fully enjoy sullungtang without well-made kkakdugi! The rich, yet simple and subtle flavor of ox bones simmered for hours pairs perfectly with the bold, acidic, fermented goodness that is kkakdugi.

If you’re following a ketogenic lifestyle, this combination is perfect– gut healthy bone broth and fermented radish kimchi. Lucky for you both are very easy! If you’d like a detailed recipe on sullungtang let me know.

Make it paleo or Whole 30 compliant simply by replacing the Lakanto with a Korean pear, also known as Asian pear, or a sweet, crisp apple such as the fuji or honey crisp variety. Place your fruit of choice in the blender and measure out 1/2 cup.

Let’s begin with a clean, empty sink, and cleared countertop. Gather all of your ingredients and tools.

Wash your radish and chives to remove any dirt. Carefully go through the Chives and remove any wilted pieces and tear off any dried bits.

Remove and discard 1.5″ from the top of your chives and 1″ from the bottom. Chop the chives into 1.5″ pieces. Use your mortar and pestle to smash your garlic and your ginger or chop finely using a knife.

Remove the top and bottom of the radish carefully. Peel the radish. If the radish is too large to hold in one hand, stand it up on the wider, flat side you just created and peel by running the vegetable peeler downwards. Remove any ugly bits with a v-shaped incision. Give the radish another rinse.

Carefully slice the radish into 1.5″ thick rounds. Stack about 2-3 rounds and cut them into thick 1.5″ strips, rotate the radish and cut them roughly into 1.5″ cubes. Do this until all of the radish is cubed.

Now add all of your ingredients into a very big bowl, put on your disposable plastic gloves (Korean dried chili flakes stain everything!), and toss gently. When everything is well incorporated, you can put them in any clean containers you have available or you can wait. If you wait the radish will lose a bit of its integrity as the fish sauce and salted shrimp draws out the moisture from the radish, making it easier to fit more into the containers. The warmer the weather, the more quickly the radish will lose water, so let it sit somewhere between 30-60 minutes. Place everything including the liquid into your containers and set them on the counter to ferment. Again, the warmer the weather, the more quickly it will ferment, but 2-4 days is typically a good timeframe.

You may also eat the kkakdugi fresh which is a totally different experience. Fresh kkakdugi pictured above leads with sweet and has a crunchier texture.

After three days on the counter my kkakdugi transformed into a beautiful probiotic-rich side dish. It is now an enticing, tangy, bold, juicy, complex bite– ready to add vibrancy to any meal.

Store your fermented kkakdugi in the refrigerator. It will continue to ferment and become more acidic in flavor, but at a much slower rate.

Signs of fermentation include bubbling along the lines of liquid, an intense aroma when opening the container (the smell definitely slaps you in the face, but you might learn to love it lol), and the cubes of radish have shrunken and become slightly translucent.

Ideas on how to enjoy kkakdugi: Aside from sullungtang, kkakdugi also accompanies heavier meals beautifully. Similar to the way a pickle can cut the heaviness of a delicious burger, kkakdugi gives the palate a bright break from a fatty keto meal. I especially love it with chicken wings! It’s also great with bacon and eggs, keto pizza, juicy steaks and even burgers. Honestly! Enjoy and good luck! -Jihae

Serves 4

Ingredients
16 oz pork belly
1 tsp salt
5 cups fermented kimchi*
1-1.5 kimchi brine (juice)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1-2 tbsp Lankanto Sweetener*
½ medium onion
3 garlic cloves
4 green onions
12in²dried kelp/kombu (다시마)
5-10 dried anchovies
4 cups of water

Optional
gochugaru*
1-2 green Korean chili
shirataki noodles*
spice bag or strainer/skimmer

Tools & Utensils
chef’s knife
cutting board
heavy bottom pot
spatula
chopsticks or tongs

Place your mouse over ingredients with an asterisk (*) for my added notes.

Let’s start our cooking adventure with a clean, empty sink, and cleared countertop. It’s a good idea to chop veggies before meats so that the cutting board won’t have to be washed as often.

Slice onions thinly, mince the garlic cloves, chop the green onions and Korean green chilies, and set these aside.

Clean the anchovies by removing the heads and guts and place them in a spice bag to make it easier to remove them from the soup later, or leave them as-is and set aside with the dried kelp.

Next, slice the pork belly into bite size pieces. These can be purchased pre-sliced from most Asian grocers. Be careful, some come with the skin attached and if you aren’t into that (like me), then double-check the sticker. Pork butt (which is actually the pig’s shoulders, not it’s booty), pork shoulder or sometimes called pork shoulder butt (lol) can be used instead, but the more fat the better. After all, fat is flavor, and fat is fuel.

Unless you want kimchi brine everywhere, slice the kimchi last. We are going to be cooking the kimchi soon after the pork so don’t be too concerned about cross contamination. Gently squeeze out the liquid (so it’s not running all over your counter) and slice the kimchi into bite size pieces against the grain of the cabbage. If your kimchi is pre-sliced, skip this step.

Now heat up the heavy bottom pot or earthenware bowl on medium-high. Once it’s hot, add the pork belly and season with salt. I like to take care here and place them nicely so they have a little room—this will prevent steam from being trapped and for more browning to take place, an extra layer of flavor. Also, please leave your pork belly alone for a good minute or two and refrain from stirring wildly and instead use tongs or chopsticks. When the meat releases easily from the pot, admire the beauty that you created which is perfectly browned pork belly, and flip it over to brown the other side. Remember to control your heat to avoid burning and brown as many sides as you have the patience for. You do not have to cook the pork belly all the way through because we will be boiling everything later.

By now you should have a pool of shiny pork fat and bits of sucs (fancy French term to describe the brown bits at the bottom of the pot or pan after sautéing, searing or pan-frying). Lucky you—this is really good stuff.

Turn the heat to medium-low and carefully add the kimchi (you don’t want the hot pork fat to splash you!), 1 tbsp of Lankanto*, sesame oil and gochugaru if you like it extra spicy. Stir fry the kimchi until they lose their integrity just slightly. Bonus points if you get some brown bits on the kimchi! Add the onion and garlic and toss for just a bit. It should smell like a party by now—tangy, savory, and slightly nutty from the sesame oil.

Next we are going to deglaze all of the sucs that has developed on your pot with Kimchi brine and water. Add the dried anchovies and kelp. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. After 15 minutes remove the dried kelp to avoid bitterness. Let simmer for an additional 30 minutes or so to let all of the gorgeous flavors meld together.

Before serving, remove the anchovies—if you don’t have a spice bag, then use a skimmer or chopsticks to fish them out. If you forget one or two, that’s okay. They’re totally edible and are great sources of protein and calcium. TASTE—ALWAYS TASTE and add the remainder of the Lankanto Sweetener, if too acidic, and salt as needed. Add a sprinkle of green onion and Korean green chili on top and serve. Adding the chilies at the end will give a cooling sensation as you sip the stew.

Good luck and please enjoy one of my very favorite childhood dishes.

If you’re short on time:
Throw everything in the pot except the Korean green chili and green onion. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove the kelp and boil for 20 additional minutes. Garnish with Korean green chili and green onions. It will be delicious, and you will love it.

Traditionally kimchi jjigae includes squares of medium firm tofu and eaten with a bowl of rice.