• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Norecipes - Elevating Everyday Meals

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cuisine
  • Ingredient
  • Type
  • Start Here
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cuisine
    • Ingredient
    • Type
    • Start Here
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dairy-Free

    Updated: Mar 17, 2023 by Marc · 4 Comments

    Buta Kimuchi (Pork & Kimchi Stir-fry)

    Buta Kimuchi(豚キムチ) is milder Japanese version of the original Korean Jaeyook Bokkeum, with only a few simple ingredients it makes for a delicious quick weeknight dinner.
    Recipe Pin
    Buta Kimuchi is milder Japanese version of the original Korean Jaeyook Bokkeum, with only a few simple ingredients it makes for a delicious quick weeknight dinner.

    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.

    Although it's a simple dish, there are a few key techniques that can make the difference between a perfectly sauced stir-fry with moist tender meat, and a soggy mess with pork that has the texture of wet cardboard. The first point is that you want to marinate the pork with sake, add then add some potato starch. This not only infuses the pork with umami, the starch gels the juices in the meat that naturally come out during cooking, locking them in place so that they don't spill out all over the pan as the meat cooks.

    Buta Kimuchi is a popular Korean-style pork and kimchi stir-fry in Japan.

    The second key is to squeeze out as much liquid from the kimchi as possible. We all know the importance of Maillard browning in boosting the flavor of a dish, and if the kimchi is wet, it will not brown. By separating the liquid from the kimchi at the beginning and then reintroducing the liquid after the kimchi has browned, we're able get the browning while still having a sauce.

    One last thing to note is that because the seasoning of this dish is primarily from the kimchi, if your kimchi doesn't taste good, your buta kimuchi won't either, so be sure to use a brand of kimchi you like, or make your own.

    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.

    📖 Recipe

    Buta Kimuchi (Pork & Kimchi Stir-fry)

    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Discuss
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins

    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 pork and sake to a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the potato starch and mix again to distribute evenly.
    • For the 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 of sake and 1 teaspoon of potato starch to the kimchi juice and stir to combine.
    • Heat a frying pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the 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 garlic chives. Toss to coat everything evenly. The buta kimchi is done when the sauce has thickened.
    Recipes in your inboxDon't miss out SIGN UP!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. The take it easy chef says

      October 10, 2016 at 4:24 pm

      Never tried a Kimchi based stir-fry! This looks fantastic. I am sure it tastes great too.

      Reply
    2. S C says

      March 08, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      Tried this and the results were great. I added some cabbage to the stir-fry for extra veggies. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        March 08, 2020 at 9:14 pm

        Hi SC, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Great idea adding cabbage👍🏽

        Reply
    3. Veronica says

      December 23, 2021 at 9:09 am

      Yummy and super easy to make

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

    Start Here →

    Trending Recipes

    • Luxuriously smooth scoop of homemade matcha ice cream.
      Matcha Ice Cream (No-Churn)
    • Edamame
    • Experience the irresistible allure of my butter chicken recipe, showcasing tender chicken pieces swimming in a luxuriously smooth and flavorsome sauce.
      Butter Chicken
    • A glossy mirrorlike shine is the hallmark of any great Japanese chicken teriyaki, and this one comes together from just 4 simple ingredients.
      Authentic Chicken Teriyaki
    • A staple of Chinese-American take-out joints, this Chicken Chow Mein recipe is an easy and delicious one-pan meal.
      Chicken Chow Mein
    • Kung Pao Chicken

    Trending Categories

    • Japanese (Modern)
    • Japanese (Traditional)
    • Japanese (Chinese)
    • Stir Fry
    • Easy Weeknight
    • Rice

    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

    Start Here →

    Trending Recipes

    • Luxuriously smooth scoop of homemade matcha ice cream.
      Matcha Ice Cream (No-Churn)
    • Edamame
    • Experience the irresistible allure of my butter chicken recipe, showcasing tender chicken pieces swimming in a luxuriously smooth and flavorsome sauce.
      Butter Chicken
    • A glossy mirrorlike shine is the hallmark of any great Japanese chicken teriyaki, and this one comes together from just 4 simple ingredients.
      Authentic Chicken Teriyaki
    • A staple of Chinese-American take-out joints, this Chicken Chow Mein recipe is an easy and delicious one-pan meal.
      Chicken Chow Mein
    • Kung Pao Chicken

    Trending Categories

    • Japanese (Modern)
    • Japanese (Traditional)
    • Japanese (Chinese)
    • Stir Fry
    • Easy Weeknight
    • Rice

    Footer

    About

    • About
    • Help Me
    • Hire Me
    • Photography
    • FAQs

    Connect

    • Email Updates
    • Contact

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    Copyright © 2023 Marc Matsumoto. All rights reserved