Kim Chimma-Chi, Kim Chimma-Chi, Kimchi Chigae

I love Durham, my adoptive hometown, but I can't deny that occasionally it comes up a little short in comparison to my former home, New York City. Fortunately, Durham is catching up. No one would mistake the Durham skyline for Manhattan's--or even for an actual skyline, for that matter--but many of the great amenities of Yankee living are slowly but surely insinuating themselves here.

Case in point: until recently, there was not a single decent Korean restaurant in town. Now there are two within a half a mile of each other. Better still, one is attached to a grocery store that specializes in Korean ingredients (more on that in a bit). Now, I love Korean food but I'm no connoisseur. So are these restaurants as good as Kum Gang San, the place Lisa and I used to frequent in Flushing? You will have to ask someone more expert than I. They are good enough, and I am very happy.

Since discovering these places, Lisa and I have paid several visits, and they got me to thinking about trying to prepare some of these dishes at home. I was especially intrigued by the unique flavors of Korean cooking. What are they? To find out, I set out to prepare a typical Korean dish, Kimchi Chigae (Kimchi Stew to us 'Murkins).

To my happy surprise, this turned out to be an easy dish, one that requires a minimum of preparation and comes together very quickly. I chose it pretty much at random but I doubt I could have selected a better jumping-off point for my Korean cuisine adventure. Thanks to the store next door to Durham's Vit Goal Tofu (#1 in Korean tofu soups!!!!!), I had no trouble finding the few exotic ingredients listed below; these (i.e. kochujang and kochukaru) turn out to be the flavor base of many of my favorite fiery Korean dishes.

Kimchi Chigae

4 hearty servings

1 lb. fatty meat (pork belly is traditional, but beef stew cubes, skirt steak, etc. will do), sliced into little shreds, 1" long and a few millimeters thick
2-3 tablespoons kochujang (Korean chili paste--it comes in a red-pepper colored tub)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup cabbage kimchi, chopped into 1/2" to 1" segments
4 cups water
2 tablespoons kochukaru (Korean red pepper powder)
6 - 8 ounces bean sprouts
12 ounces silky tofu, sliced to fit easily into a soup spoon
2 scallions, cut into 1/2" dice
3 Korean peppers, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. Toss in the meat and stir so that it doesn't stick. It should start to give off enough fat that no extra fat is necessary. If it starts to stick, drizzle in a tablespoon of oil. Cook for about a minute.
2) Combine the kochujang and the soy sauce, then drizzle it into the pot. Stir, using the liquid to loosen any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook for a minute, until the meat looks pretty well cooked.
3) Add the water and the kimchi. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the kochukaru and bean sprouts. Increase heat if necessary to resume simmer.
4) Cook for 20 minutes, then slide in tofu. Cook for another ten minutes. Add scallions, Korean peppers, salt and pepper. Stir, cook for another minute. Serve with sushi rice.

This dish will fill your belly and clear your sinuses!