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. 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 follow my recipe to 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
