Army stew
A korean stew originally made from the trash outside U.S. Army bases in the South during the poor years after the war, it became a classic mainstay of Seoul restaurant fare. Usually made with spam and hotdogs.
Stew base:
Meat bones or scraps (like chicken wing tips)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 spring onion, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 slice ginger
1 T or more kochujang (Korean hot bean paste)
2 c water
Enrichments:
Dried condiments (tiny fish, squid, etc.)
2 T or more soy sauce
2 T or more rice wine (or vinegar)
1 T of corn starch dissolved in water
Additions:
Leftover meats (hot dogs, cold cuts, fish balls, fried fish sticks, etc.), cut into bite-sized pieces.
Kimchi
Other korean condiments (sesame spinach, pickles etc.)
Serve with noodles (glutinous rice noodles work well) or over rice
In a wok or medium-sized pot, fry meat scraps in a little oil over medium heat. When they start to brown, add aromatics and fry 1-2 min more. Fry the Kochujang momentarily, then add water, loosening any material stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to low.
Add dried condiments and cook everything together for 10-15 minutes, skimming away any scum that rises to the surface and adding more water as neccessary. Season with soy sauce and rice wine.
(At this point, if you are using as-yet uncooked noodles, you can add them directly to the stew water to cook. Cold cooked noodles can be added along with the cooked meats in the next step.)
Thicken the stew with corn starch dissolved in cold water, adding a little at a time until the desired thickness is reached. Add enough to make it velvety, but not gloppy.
Add cold meats, kimchi, and any other condiments that seem appetizing and continue to heat until the mixture comes once again to the boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Garnish with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and serve hot.
Posted by Sam at March 4, 2004 06:49 AM