Ingredients
For the broth:
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ ounce kombu/dashima (about the size of your hand) cut into small pieces
- 8 large dried anchovies (heads and guts removed)
For the stew:
- 8 ounces rib eye (or any tender cut of beef), cut into small pieces
- 8 pieces shiitake mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- ½ large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 scallions, trimmed and minced
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 tubes of sundubu (soft tofu), 11 ounce each
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 Tablespoons gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
- 2 teaspoons toasted toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnish:
- 2 eggs and extra minced scallion
Instructions
Make the anchovy stock
Place the water in a stock pot. Add the anchovies and kelp. Bring the pot to a simmer over high heat. Partially cover with a lid, lower heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and either discard the solids or use for another purpose. You should yield 2 cups of stock. If not, add a little water to make up the difference. Set the stock aside.
Make the stew
Heat a heavy pan over medium high heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic, and green onion. Stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft and lightly browned. Stir in the beef and shiitake mushrooms and continue to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the beef is mostly cooked. Add the stock, salt, fish sauce, korean chili flakes, sesame oil, and fresh ground pepper. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes over medium heat.
If you are putting the stew into two individual pots, now is a good time to transfer it. You can also leave the stew in one pot. If you’ve transferred the stew, bring them back to a simmer over medium high heat. Cut the tubes of soft tofu in half and add to the soup, gently breaking the tofu up a little with a wooden spoon. Let the stew simmer for 3-5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Carefully crack an egg into the pot(s). Garnish with minced scallion and serve Beef Sundubu-Jjigae immediately.
Notes
*You can make the anchovy stock ahead of time and refrigerate. It keeps for several days. You can also freeze it so it’s available whenever you need it.
*If you cannot find the tubes of silken tofu, you can also use silken tofu that comes packed in the square containers. Some of them are labeled soon-tofu, especially made for these types of stews, and are extra soft. Use an equivalent amount of tofu.
*The eggs are raw but they cook some in the hot stew. If you prefer to have your eggs more cooked, leave the stew simmering for a couple extra minutes after adding the eggs.
Keywords: jjigae, korean, soup, stew, tofu, winter, beef, spicy, egg