Korean Cabbage Food

SLOW-COOKER KOREAN BEEF & CABBAGE STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the beef to the skillet; cook, turning once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add the wine, brown sugar, and soy sauce to the skillet; bring to a boil over medium-high. Pour the wine mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Stir the stock, onion halves, garlic, and jalapeño into the slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW until the beef is very tender, 7 to 8 hours.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the slow cooker and discard; transfer the beef to a large bowl. Coarsely shred the beef using 2 forks; return the beef to the slow cooker. Stir in the cabbage, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW until the cabbage is wilted, about 10 minutes. Ladle the stew into bowls; top evenly with the kimchi and scallions.

TRADITIONAL KIMCHI (NAPA CABBAGE KIMCHI)

Steps:

• Cut the thick white part of the cabbage lengthwise in half. Then, slowly pull apart by hand to separate into two pieces. Do the same for each half to make quarters. Running the knife through all the way would unnecessarily cut off the cabbage leaves.
• In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup of salt in 5 cups of water. Thoroughly bathe each cabbage quarter in the salt water one at a time, shake off excess water back into the bowl, and then transfer to another bowl.
• Using the other half cup of salt and starting from the outermost leaf, generously sprinkle salt over the thick white part of each leaf (similar to salting a piece of meat). Try to salt all the cabbage quarters with 1/2 cup salt, but you can use a little more if needed. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage quarters. Pour the remaining salt water from the first bowl over the cabbage. Set aside for about 6 - 8 hours, rotating the bottom ones to the top every 2 - 3 hours.
• The cabbages should be ready to be washed when the white parts of the leaves are easily bendable. Rinse thoroughly 3 times, especially between the white parts. Drain well, cut side down.
• Meanwhile, make the optional dashima broth by boiling a small piece (2 to 3 inch square) in 1.5 cup of water for 5 minutes, and cool. Mix the rice powder with 1/2 cup water (or optional dashima broth) and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a thin paste, and cool.
• Prepare the garlic, ginger and saeujeot. Combine all the seasoning ingredients, including the rice paste and about 1/2 cup water (or the optional dashima broth), and mix well. Set aside until the red pepper flakes to dissolve slightly and become pasty.
• Cut the radish and optional pear into matchsticks (use a mandoline if desired), transferring to a large bowl. Cut the scallions diagonally into about 1-inch long pieces. Add the prepared seasoning mix to the radish, and mix well by hand. Throw in the scallions, and mix everything lightly. Taste a little bit. It should be a little too salty to eat as is. You can add salt, more salted shrimp or fish sauce, as needed. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld nicely.
• Cut off the tough stem part from each cabbage quarter, leaving enough to hold the leaves together. Place one cabbage quarter in the bowl with the radish mix. Spread the radish mix over each leaf, one to two tablespoons for large leaves. (Eyeball the stuffing into 4 parts and use one part for each cabbage quarter.)
• Fold the leaf part of the cabbage over toward the stem and nicely wrap it with the outermost leaf. Place it, cut side up, in a jar or airtight container. Repeat with the remaining cabbages. If you have lose large leaves, you can use them to cover the top of the kimchi (see note 1). Once all the cabbages are in the jar or airtight container, press down hard to remove air pockets. Rinse the bowl that contained the radish mix with 1/2 cup of water (or any remaining optional dashima broth) and pour into the kimchi container. Close the lid.
• Leave it out at room temperature for a full day or two, depending on the weather and how fast you want your kimchi to ripen. A half day is recommended during hot summer days. Then, store in the fridge. (See note 2.)

KOREAN CABBAGE

Steps:

• Make a salt water mixture, soak the cabbage in it and drain it.
• Mix the cabbage with sat, green onions, garlic, red chilli and ginger root.
• Mix this mixture well, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
• Put this salad in a jar as it can remain for many days.

KIMCHI (KOREAN FERMENTED SPICY CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Remove discolored, bruised outer leaves of cabbage and rinse cabbage under cold water. Cut cabbage head into 2-inch pieces.
• Divide 3 cups water among 3 bowls. Stir 1 cup sea salt into each bowl of water. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup sea salt over cabbage.
• Place salted cabbage in the 3 bowls salted water until partially submerged; let sit 6 to 12 hours.
• Rinse cabbage thoroughly under cold water several times. Squeeze cabbage to remove excess water. Cabbage should have a rubbery texture. Transfer cabbage to a colander or basket to thoroughly drain the cabbage, at least 2 hours.
• Combine 3 cups water and rice flour in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk mixture until a glue-like consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and cool rice mixture to room temperature.
• Combine onion, garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon water in a food processor; pulse until smooth, adding more water if needed.
• Pour chile flakes into a large bowl; stir in onion-garlic mixture, cooled rice flour mixture, fish sauce, shrimp, brown sugar, and sesame seeds until well mixed. Add radish and green onions and mix well.
• Coat each cabbage piece with chile mixture by using your hands. (Rubber gloves are highly recommended.) Pack coated cabbage leaves inside air-tight glass jars or containers; cover each tightly with a lid. Keep jars at room temperature for fermentation to occur, about 2 days. Refrigerate kimchi after the 2 days.

GILGEORI TOAST (KOREAN STREET TOAST WITH CABBAGE AND EGG)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, scallions, salt and pepper. Massage the vegetable mixture for 30 seconds, squeezing to tenderize. Crack in the egg and mix well.
• In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Place both slices of the bread on the pan, moving them around to soak up all the melted butter on one side, and toast until golden-brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet, and flip the bread to soak up the butter and to toast on the other side until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle the top of each toast with 1/2 teaspoon sugar or slather the top of each with 1 teaspoon jam.
• In the same skillet, melt the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the cabbage mixture, and use one spatula in each hand to shape and hold it as it cooks to match the size of your bread. Cook the cabbage mixture just until it turns slightly golden underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the mixture, top with ham and cheese, if using, and cook until the other side is golden underneath, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the cabbage mixture to one piece of sweetened toast. Top with ketchup and mayonnaise to taste, and add the remaining slice of bread, sweetened side down. Serve immediately, sliced in half if desired.

KOREAN CABBAGE KIMCHI

Steps:

• Dissolve the 3 tablespoons salt in the water.
• Cut the cabbage into cut into 2-inch squares.
• Put the cabbage into a large bowl, a crock, or a nonreactive pot, and pour the brine over it.
• Weight the cabbage down with a plate.
• Let the cabbage stand for 12 hours.
• Drain the cabbage, reserving the brine.
• Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients, including the 1 teaspoon salt.
• Pack the mixture into a 2-quart jar.
• Pour enough of the reserved brine over the cabbage to cover it.
• Push a freezer bag into the mouth of the jar, and pour the remaining brine into the bag. Seal the bag.
• Let the kimchi ferment in a cool place, at a temperature no higher than 68° F, for 3 to 6 days, until the kimchi is as sour as you like.
• Remove the brine bag, and cap the jar tightly.
• Store the kimchi in the refrigerator, where it will keep for months.

KOREAN KIMCHI

Steps:

• Cut the cabbage leaves into 2 inch long pieces. Spread 1/4 of the leaves into a large, non-metallic bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 of the salt. Repeat layering all of the cabbage has been salted. Let stand at room temperature until a lot of liquid has been pulled from the leaves and the cabbage is tender, 3 to 4 hours; drain. Rinse the cabbage in 2 or 3 changes of water. Drain again very well and return the cabbage to the mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle the cabbage with the minced garlic, green onions, MSG, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with additional salt and toss until evenly combined. Pack the mixture into a sterilized gallon-sized glass jar. Cover the jar with wax paper and a loose fitting lid so the seal is not airtight.
• Allow the cabbage to ferment at room temperature until it reaches the desired degree of sourness, 2 to 5 days. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

KIMCHI

Steps:

• Slice the cabbage lengthways in half, then slice each half lengthways again into 2 sections (3 if it's a large cabbage).
• Dissolve the course sea salt in a very large bowl of cold water. Once most of the salt has dissolved, submerge the cabbage pieces under the water. I usually put a large plate on top of the bowl to ensure all of the cabbage stays submerged. Leave for 2 hours
• While you're waiting, mix all of the seasoning ingredients in another large bowl.
• After 2 hours drain all of the water from the bowl containing the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage pieces with plenty of cold water to remove any undissolved salt crystals. Then squeeze each section of cabbage well to remove as much water as possible.
• Take each section of cabbage in turn and cover well with seasoning from the second bowl. Make sure seasoning is applied well in between each layer. Transfer each seasoned piece of cabbage into a large airtight container. * I highly recommend using gloves for this step!
• When all cabbage pieces have been seasoned and transferred to the container pour any excess seasoning on top and close the lid.
• The Kimchi can be eaten straight away (freshly made Kimchi is amazing!) or it can be left to ferment. If you plan to eat it later it should be left in the container at room temperature for 2 days before transferring it to the fridge.