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Dubu Kimchi (Korean Tofu with Spicy Pork and Kimchi)

Dubu kimchi is a pub dish, the sort of thing that lands on the table with a bottle of soju in every Korean drinking house. Sour kimchi and pork belly are fried hard together until the kimchi caramelises, then spooned beside slices of plain warm tofu.

The contrast is the whole point. The tofu is soft, mild and quietly high in protein, and it takes the edge off kimchi that has been cooked until it is punchy and sweet. Older, more sour kimchi is better here than fresh.

Servings
4
Prep Time
8
mins
Cook Time
12
mins
Ingredients
13
Total Time
20
mins

Pantry bits

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Ingredients

  • 1 block firm tofu (about 400g)
  • 250g pork belly or pork scotch, thinly sliced
  • 300g well-fermented kimchi, roughly chopped, plus 2 tbsp of its juice
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 brown onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp gochujang
  • 1 tsp gochugaru
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 4 spring onions, cut into 4cm lengths
  • Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Instructions

  1. Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer. Slice the tofu into 1cm slabs and warm them in the water for 5 minutes, then lift out and drain on paper towel.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat and fry the pork for 3 minutes until browned at the edges.
  3. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the kimchi and fry hard for 4 minutes without stirring too often, so it catches and caramelises.
  4. Stir in the gochujang, gochugaru, soy, sugar and kimchi juice and cook for 2 minutes more until glossy and thick. Fold through the spring onions and sesame oil.
  5. Arrange the warm tofu slices around the edge of a platter, pile the pork and kimchi in the middle and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve with rice and something raw and green.

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