Buta Kimuchi(豚キムチ), is a milder Japanese version of the Korean dish Jaeyook Bokkeum (제육볶음). With only 7 ingredients (less, if you omit the garnish), my version of this dish is an incredibly simple stir-fry that comes together in a matter of minutes. The brilliance of Buta Kimuchi is that kimchi is so flavorful, that it does not need much seasoning beyond its own pickling juices to create a wonderfully complex stir-fry.
Why This Recipe Works
- Marinating the pork with sake and potato starch ensures flavorful, tender, juicy meat.
- By squeezing the liquid out of the kimchi at the beginning, then reintroducing the liquid after the kimchi has browned, we're able get the browning while still having a sauce.
- Kimchi infuses the dish with its vibrant, fiery flavor. Be sure to use a brand of kimchi you like, or follow my recipe to make your own.
How to Make Buta Kimchi
First, marinate the thinly-sliced pork. The longer the pork can marinate in the sake and potato starch, the more tender and flavorful it will be.
Next, squeeze the juices from the kimchi, reserving the liquid. This allows the kimchi to brown and develop more flavor. The reserved liquid then becomes a flavorful sauce after the kimchi has browned.
Heat up a frying pan and brown the pork, then add in the squeezed kimchi. Let the kimchi brown for a few minutes, developing flavor through Maillard browning.
Add the reserved kimchi liquid to the pan, along with the garlic chives. Cook until the sauce thickens.
Other Fusion Dishes
If you like recipes that transit cultures like this one, you may like Lomo Saltado, a Chinese-Peruvian beef stir fry, or Okinawa Taco Rice, a fusion of Tex-Mex and Japanese flavors. I also feature many fusion dishes on my subscription website, Marc's Recipes, like Kimchi Salsa, Kimchi Meat Sauce, and Kimchi Mapo Tofu.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 200 grams pork thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sake
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- 250 grams kimchi (weight after squeezing)
- ½ cup kimchi juice (squeezed from )
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 20 grams garlic chives (chopped into 2-inch lengths)
- 1 scallion (finely chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Add the 200 grams pork and 1 teaspoon sake to a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the 1 teaspoon potato starch and mix again to distribute evenly.
- For the 250 grams kimchi, squeeze out as much water as you can and weigh out 250 grams. You should squeeze it until you can't get any more liquid to come out. You'll probably want to use gloves or your hands will turn orange and smell like kimchi for the rest of the day. This should produce about ½ cup of liquid, if you don't have enough liquid, pour some more in, or if you have too much, pour some out.
- Add 2 tablespoons sake and 1 teaspoon potato starch to the ½ cup kimchi juice and stir to combine.
- Heat a frying pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the marinated pork and then spread it out into a single layer. When the pork has browned on one side, flip them over and brown the other side.
- Add the squeezed kimchi and stir-fry until the kimchi starts to brown.
- Give the kimchi juice another stir and then add it to the pan along with the 20 grams garlic chives. Toss to coat everything evenly. The buta kimchi is done when the sauce has thickened. Garnish with the chopped 1 scallion and serve.
Kathy Stroup says
This was so delicious and easy! I had some very ripe kimchi in my freezer and I needed to use it up, as well as a slice of pork shoulder. My kimchi was really sour, so I added a little brown sugar to balance the dish. I made your Small Batch Kimchi recipe a while back, and it's fantastic! I had to fight myself a little to actually have some leftover to freeze.😋❄️ Thanks for inspiring me to feed myself well.☺️
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm so happy you enjoyed this! Great call freezing your kimchi to preserve it. This is a go-to recipe for us when we don't have much in the fridge. There are also lots of variations you can make with it like pasta, rice bowls, udon noodle soup, etc. They all start with the same building blocks.
Veronica says
Yummy and super easy to make
S C says
Tried this and the results were great. I added some cabbage to the stir-fry for extra veggies. Thanks for sharing!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi SC, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Great idea adding cabbage👍🏽
The take it easy chef says
Never tried a Kimchi based stir-fry! This looks fantastic. I am sure it tastes great too.