Kimchi Stew – Should I Pre-Cook the Pork?
Tonight, I’m preparing kimchi stew! Normally, I use thinly sliced pork from the Asian market, but I couldn’t find any this time. Instead, I picked up some pork shoulder and did my best to slice it thinly, though I’m still concerned that it might be too thick and won’t tenderize well if I just toss it into the soup. Should I sear it first to help render some of the fat, or would that risk making it tougher? What do you think?
When making kimchi stew, you don’t necessarily need to cook the pork first, but it can depend on the thickness of your slices. Since you mentioned using pork shoulder and slicing it as thinly as you could, it should still work well for the stew. Cooking the pork directly in the stew will help it become tender as it simmers and absorbs all the flavors.
However, if you’re concerned about the thickness of your slices and want to ensure they soften up nicely, you could consider briefly browning the pork in a pan before adding it to the stew. This step can develop additional flavor through the Maillard reaction (browning) without making the meat tougher, especially if you don’t cook it too long in the pan.
Alternatively, if you decide to skip the browning, just make sure to let the stew simmer for a while longer to allow the pork to become tender. Enjoy your kimchi stew!
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