Korean Beef Stew w/ Kimchi

By now, you all know that I am addicted to kimchi.

I eat it everyday in some form or another.

With scrambled eggs, avocado toast, on pizza or just straight out of the jar.

I can't help myself. I love it.
My breath stinks.

I bought 2 huge jars of a brand that I think is pretty good, it's the best that I have found so far (except for that original tub from the Korean grocer in Koreatown).

Do you like spicy foods? If so, this one is for you.
It is better than any Chinese take out food and is the easiest beef stew I have ever made.

We loved it over white rice.

The only thing I omitted was the ginger, because I didn't have any.

This cleared out my sinuses, because my kimchi was pretty spicy and I even used the kimchi juice.
If you like it less spicy, omit the juice and use the straight up fermented cabbage (kimchi).

The original recipe is from Mark Bittman's book BEST Recipes in the World.

I hope you try it.

Spicy Beef Kimchi Stew (adapted from HEALTH magazine and Mark Bittman): serves 3-4

1 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast or beef tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 large garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar or mirin
1 1/2 cups or more of chopped jarred kimchi
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped scallions for garnish
cooked white rice

I used vegetable oil, because it has a higher smoke point vs. olive oil.

Season the chuck meat w/ kosher salt & pepper.

In a 3-4 quart Dutch oven, add the beef cubes a few at a time and brown well, adjusting the heat so the meat browns but does not burn and turning beef to brown on all sides; this will take about 8 minutes. Don't crowd the meat, so you get a nice sear, and it doesn't steam. I did this in 2 batches. Remove the meat to a plate when it is done, and turn the heat to low.

Add garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic colors, about a minute.

Add the water, soy sauce and either sugar or mirin to a measuring cup and stir to mix. Pour this into the pot and bring to a boil.

Add the meat to the boiling pot then cover, reduce heat, and simmer.

Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but not violently and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender. Mine took 1 hour and 10 minutes, depending on the cut you used (tenderloin cooks much faster than chuck).

Take the lid off and add in the chopped kimchi with some juice (if you like it spicy!), and simmer 10 minutes or until heated through. (You can prepare the dish several hours in advance up to this point. Cover and set aside until you're ready to eat, then reheat; or cover and refrigerate overnight before reheating).

Stir in sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve immediately over cooked rice.

My husband really loved this. I did too, and I am not a big meat eater.