newbie kimchi pork

I was first introduced to kimchi when I was in China. There were so many Koreans studying in the university that quite a few restaurants nearby were Korean, plus the first few friends I made were Korean. So, it was inevitable for me to love the food. Kimchi is not something I liked straight away though, it takes a bit of getting used to. And, every kimchi is different, different restaurant will have different tasting kimchi. So, I may like this restaurant's kimchi, but I may not love another's.

One kimchi brand that I like is the Chongga kimchi. I think it's because it is the most popular kimchi brand, so they try not to make it too strong, to appeal to all taste buds. It sure works for me.

After almost a few months immersed in the whole kimchi culture, I made this recipe up using kimchi as the main ingredient. This recipe is not authentic Korean, so don't crucify me for it. I just love it for its simplicity.


Newbie kimchi pork
by closet domestic bunny

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of cut kimchi (chinese cabbage type)
• 500g of stir-fry pork (meaning pork cut thinly)
• 1 pack of fresh enoki mushrooms (or canned if you can't find fresh), rinsed with roots removed
• Salt, white pepper, soy sauce, sugar to taste

Method:

1. Stir fry the pork pieces in high heat until they are golden brown. Then add 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 2 tsp of sugar while stirring to avoid burning.
2. Set the pork aside on a plate, sauté the enoki mushrooms in low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes, the goal is to cook the mushrooms, not to burn it.
3. Add the kimchi and return the pork while stirring.
4. Add salt, a little bit of white pepper and quite a bit of soy sauce. I like this dish salty, but the kimchi should help to give it its saltiness, so moderate your salt & soy sauce addition. Simmer for about 5 minutes in low to medium heat until the sauce thickens up a little bit.
5. Plate up the contents, top them up with half a handful of fresh kimchi and serve with a bowl of warm rice