Korean Uijeongbu-Style Budae Jjigae
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 11
About this dish
Uijeongbu-style budae-jjigae is a spicy communal stew that combines luncheon meat, cocktail sausages, well-fermented kimchi, and baked beans in an anchovy broth seasoned with gochujang and gochugaru.
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The fermented kimchi is a key flavoring element here, contributing acidity and deep umami that balance out the salt-heavy processed meats. Tofu and onion mellow the aggressive flavors by absorbing into the broth and adding softness. A block of instant noodles is added at the end to soak up the heavily seasoned liquid. Uijeongbu, a city north of Seoul, is recognized as the origin of this dish, where it developed near a US military base after the Korean War and took on its distinctly hybrid character from the military surplus ingredients available at the time.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Cut 150g of Spam and 120g of Vienna sausage into bite-size pieces, cube 200g of tofu into 2cm squares, coarsely chop 120g of onion, and diagonally slice 1 green onion.
- 2Control
Spread 180g of kimchi and onion on the bottom of the pot, sprinkle 1 tablespoon each of gochujang and gochugaru over them, and stir-fry over low heat for 2 minutes to develop the seasoning aroma.
- 3Heat
Pour in 700ml of anchovy broth and once it begins to boil, arrange the Spam, sausage, and tofu neatly from the edge inward.
- 4Control
Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes, then add 4 tablespoons of baked beans and the green onion and cook for 3 more minutes.
The beans melt into the broth and add sweetness and body.
- 5Control
Taste after the saltiness from the Spam and kimchi has dispersed through the broth.
Lower the heat if it reduces too quickly so it does not become overly salty.
- 6Finish
Add 1 portion of ramen noodles and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fully loosened, then turn off the heat and serve immediately.
Timing is critical because noodles quickly become soggy.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Uijeongbu-budae-jjigae balances the saltiness of American luncheon meats with sour kimchi and sweet baked beans to form a historic, communal dish with complex flavors.
- Finish cue
- Add 1 portion of ramen noodles and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fully loosened, then turn off the heat and serve immediately.
- Avoid this
- Timing is critical because noodles quickly become soggy.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 11 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 122 recipes
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