Chadol-doenjang-jjigae (Brisket Soybean Paste Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot), 1.5 to 2 quart size, or a small heavy saucepan
• •Wooden spoon or heatproof spoon
• •Rice bowl for measuring rice-rinsing water

Instructions

1. 1

   Sear the brisket

   Heat a ttukbaegi or small heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the chadolbaegi in a loose layer and sear 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until some edges brown and the fat coats the bottom of the pot. If the beef is very lean, add 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Do not stir it constantly. The pot needs quiet contact to make flavor.

2. 2

   Toast the paste

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the doenjang to the rendered beef fat and stir for 30 to 45 seconds, just until it darkens slightly and smells rounder. This is not frying it hard. You are waking the paste in fat so it joins the beef instead of sitting separately in the broth.

   If your doenjang is very coarse, mash it against the side of the pot with the spoon before adding liquid. Lumps of paste make salty pockets.
3. 3

   Add the liquid

   Pour in the rice-rinsing water or broth slowly, stirring to dissolve the doenjang from the bottom of the pot. Add the gochugaru if using. Bring it to a steady simmer and scrape up any browned bits. Rice-rinsing water gives body; anchovy-kelp broth gives a cleaner savory spine. Both work.

4. 4

   Cook firm vegetables

   Add the onion and the radish or potato if using. Simmer 6 to 7 minutes, until the radish turns slightly translucent or the potato is almost tender. These go in before the zucchini because they need time. A good jjigae is not a pot where every vegetable dies at the same speed.

5. 5

   Add soft vegetables

   Add the zucchini and mushrooms and simmer 4 minutes. The zucchini should soften but still hold its crescent shape. If the stew looks too thick, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. If it looks thin, leave the lid off and let it reduce for another minute.

6. 6

   Warm the tofu

   Slide in the tofu and minced garlic. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, spooning broth over the tofu instead of stirring hard. Tofu breaks when a cook gets impatient. Taste the broth now. If it is flat, add 1 teaspoon more doenjang. If it is salty, add 2 tablespoons water and let the vegetables speak.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Scatter the green chili, red chili if using, and scallions over the top. Turn off the heat and let them soften in the residual heat for 1 minute. Carry the pot to the table with rice. This stew should be eaten right away, while the tofu is tender and the brisket still has its browned edge.

Chef Tips

• •Buy chadolbaegi from a Korean market if you can. It should be thin enough to curl on the hot pot in seconds, with visible ribbons of fat. Thick brisket slices turn chewy before the stew is ready.
• •Rice-rinsing water means the cloudy second or third rinse from washing short-grain rice, not the first dusty rinse. It gives the broth a little body and keeps the doenjang from tasting sharp.
• •Do not add gochujang. This is not a red stew. A little gochugaru is enough if you want warmth, because the point is the fermented soybean paste and the brisket fat.
• •Safe shortcut: use a good low-sodium anchovy broth packet or prepared stock. Do not skip searing the beef, and do not dump all the vegetables in at once. Those are the steps that make the dish taste cared for.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated, but tofu firms and brisket loses its edge. Reheat gently and add a spoonful of water if the broth has tightened.

Advance Preparation

• •Cut the vegetables and tofu up to 8 hours ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Keep tofu in cold water and drain it before cooking.
• •Anchovy-kelp broth can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated. For a weeknight, this turns the stew into a 25-minute pot.
• •Do not sear the brisket ahead. Thin chadolbaegi is best when browned and simmered right away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)