Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) gochugaru
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) mirin
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced garlic
• ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) sugar
• ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) gochujang
• Black pepper
• 7 ounces (198 g) SPAM, sliced
• 5 ounces (142 g) cooked Frankfurt sausage, sliced diagonally
• 9 ounces (255 g) firm tofu, sliced
• 7 ounces (198 g) enoki mushrooms, separated
• 7 ounces (198 g) king oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
• 4 ounces (113 g) shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
• ½ cup (120 ml) kimchi, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock
• 4 ounces (113 g) instant ramen noodles
• 2 ounces (57 g) Korean rice cakes, thawed if frozen
• 2-3 green onions, sliced diagonally
• 1-2 slices American cheese
• Steamed rice, to serve

Method:

• In a bowl, combine the gochugaru, mirin, soy, garlic, sugar, and gochujang. Season with pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
• In a shallow pot over medium-high heat add the SPAM, sausage, tofu, all the mushrooms, and kimchi. Stir and allow everything to cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the pot and stir. Allow to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Gently pour the stock into the pot so as not to disturb the other ingredients.
• Half cover the pot with a lid and allow to boil for 8-10 minutes.
• Add the ramen noodles, rice cakes, green onions, and cheese and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes more
• Reduce the heat to low
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls
• Serve alongside steamed rice

All recipes for Zack Kinda Cooks were developed and written by Chef Zachary Resnick