Ground Soybean Stew | Biji Jjigae (비지찌개)

I'm back from my mini Euro trip and I'm definitely craving Korean food, specifically the dish I'm sharing today. This dish really brings me back to my childhood because it's a stew that my mom would only make once or twice a year. It's not particularly difficult to make and the ingredient list is pretty short but it's kind of time consuming and it was a bit of a chore because it involved the use of a blender, which she hated having to clean.

But, I've since improved upon that bit. I use a food processor, which is so much easier to clean and use and this dish came together pretty quickly, minus the time it took to soak the soybeans. It's really delicious but also really nostalgic for me and I'm so pleased I finally got around to making this myself because I literally haven't eaten it in over a decade.

Ingredients [serves 4]:
½ cup dried yellow soybeans
2 lbs. pork spareribs
1" knob ginger, halved
3 scallions, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4 to 6 cups water
2 cups chopped kimchi with juice
1 tablespoon bean paste (dwenjang)

The first step is to soak the soybeans a day ahead. Add to a container and add enough water to cover plus a few inches above because as they rehydrate and increase in size, the volume of water will reduce.

You can tell they're ready when you press on a bean and it easily splits in half and the skin pops off. Drain the soybeans, rinse well, and rub together to get rid of the skins. Discard all of the skins.

Grind the soybeans in a food processor. I prefer a slightly coarser grind but if you prefer something finer, add a little water to the food processor to help it yield a more paste-like consistency.

The broth is v. simple. It's just pork, ginger, scallions, and garlic. The aromatics will help to tenderize the pork but also get rid of any potential gameyness.

Add the ingredients to a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. The bubbling will encourage the impurities and denatured proteins to coagulate and rise to the top. Skim it all off with a spoon.

Reduce the heat and simmer the stock for 90 minutes to 2 hours or until the meat on the pork is super tender. If you have the time, chill the broth to solidify the fat and skim it off. The broth can be made a day or two ahead of time.

Add kimchi to a pot (this will be your serving vessel) and cook over medium high heat for a few minutes.

Add in the pork ribs and stock (discarding the ginger, scallions, and garlic) and then stir in the bean paste.

Simmer the stew for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the kimchi to cook through and the flavors to meld.

A few minutes before you're ready to serve, add in the ground soy beans. Gently stir to incorporate; most of it will stay afloat. Let it bubble through and cook for a few minutes.

Garnish with scallions before serving.

This stew is great. The broth has a light, clean flavor. The ground soybeans are slightly nutty with a vegetal undertone; it's not easy to describe because it's kind of its own thing. It's kind of like tofu, but so much better. And the pork should be falling off the bone and this goes so well with a big bowl of sticky rice.

Here's the recipe page: