Recipe: Spicy Kimchi and Pork Ramen

From food writer and cookbook author Sarah DiGregorio:

"This is one of my very favorite weeknight meals -- the stew has a rich, complex depth of flavor thanks to the gochujang, a Korean chile paste made with fermented soybeans and glutinous rice. It renders everything it touches completely delicious.

"It might seem fussy, but I add the kimchi in 2 batches here for a reason: As it cooks, the pickled cabbage gets mellow and sweet. 

"Then, at the end, you stir in the last ½ cup of kimchi to get the bright, tangy note that's been nearly cooked out of the first batch."

       
Spicy Kimchi and Pork Ramen
Prep time: 10 minutes
Finish time: 10 minutes
Slow-cook time: 8 to 9 hours
Equipment: 5- to 8-quart slow cooker
Holds well on warm through step 1 for up to 3 hours
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

One 16-ounce jar napa cabbage kimchi, chopped (about 2 cups chopped kimchi and 3 tablespoons kimchi juice)
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
½ cup gochujang, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar or raw sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
16 ounces dried or fresh ramen noodles, cooked to package directions and drained
4 soft-or medium-boiled eggs, halved (see below)
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal, for topping
Sliced nori seaweed, for topping

Directions: 

1. Set aside ½ cup of the chopped kimchi in the refrigerator. Combine the remaining kimchi and its juice with the pork, gochujang, soy sauce, sug­ar, fish sauce, and 8 cups water in a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, 8 to 9 hours on LOW.

2. Shred the meat with 2 forks if you'd like, or leave it in chunks. Stir in the reserved kimchi. Taste for seasoning.

3. Divide the cooked noodles among 4 bowls and ladle the soup on top. Gently place 1 halved egg into each bowl, sprinkle scallions and nori on top, and serve.

    
Soft- or Medium-Boiled Eggs

Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Carefully drop in 4 to 6 eggs and boil for 6 minutes for completely liquid yolks or 8 minutes for medium yolks. Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon. Peel and eat or store unpeeled eggs in the refrigerator for up to a week.

   
Good to know: You can find gochujang at Korean groceries or on Amazon. Look for the wonderful Mother-in-Law's brand, which offers several different varieties -- like tangy, sesame, and garlic.

   
From "Adventures in Slow Cooking" by Sarah DiGregorio. Copyright © 2017 by Sarah DiGregorio. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

        
For more info:

• "Adventures in Slow Cooking: 120 Slow-Cooker Recipes for People Who Love Food" by Sarah DiGregorio (William Morrow), in Hardcover and eBook formats. Available via Amazon
  
• sarahdigregorio.com
  

      
For more food suggestions check out our 2017 "Food Issue" recipe index!