A popular Korean hot pot dish, budae jjigae or Korean army stew, evolved in the years following the Korean War, when food was scarce and the local population made a stew using processed foods like Spam and canned pork and beans from American army bases. The ingredients vary by recipe, but the best versions feature homemade broth and are served bubbling hot.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 10 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dried anchovies
- 5 cloves garlic
- One 2-inch piece daikon radish
- One 2-inch piece kombu
- 1/2 onion
- 6 ounces sliced Spam
- 10 cocktail sausages
- 6 strips bacon, cut in half
- 8 ounces firm tofu, sliced
- 8 ounces cylindrical tteok (Korean rice cakes)
- 8 ounces canned pork and beans
- 1 cup kimchi
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- One 4.5-ounce package instant ramen noodles, flavor packet discarded
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups watercress (about 1 bunch)
- Steamed rice, for serving
Instructions
- For the sauce: Put the gochugaru, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, mirin, sesame oil, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
- For the broth: Put the dried anchovies, garlic, daikon, kombu, onion and 2 quarts water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Strain into a bowl or saucepan and discard the solids.
- For the toppings: Arrange the Spam, cocktail sausages, bacon, tofu, tteok, pork and beans, kimchi and sliced onion in a large, low-sided skillet. Add the sauce to the middle of the pot; don’t stir. Heat on high heat for 5 minutes. Add enough broth to cover all the ingredients (you may not use all the broth), bring to a boil and boil on high heat for 5 minutes. Mix the sauce gently into the broth so it is well incorporated. Lower to medium heat and add the remaining broth. Simmer for 10 more minutes, then add the ramen and cook until the noodles are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and top with mozzarella, scallions and watercress. Serve with steamed rice.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 941 |
| Total Fat | 48 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 79 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 51 g |
| Cholesterol | 126 mg |
| Sodium | 3794 mg |
Reviews
This was yummy and tasted like the army stew I’ve ordered in Korean restaurants. I didn’t have dried anchovies and the broth was flavorful with the gochugaru. Also, omitted the beans. One pot meal served with a bowl of rice. It was a hit for my family of 5! Thanks for this delicious recipe. I hope others try it!