Bean Sprout-Laden Pork Back-bone Jjim (콩나물 수북 등뼈찜)
A hearty jjim dish made with leftover pork backbones, bean sprouts, and kimchi.
📝 Editor's Notes
Bean Sprout-Laden Pork Backbone Jjim (콩나물 수북 등뼈찜) is a spicy and savory steamed dish that makes generous use of leftover pork backbones, kimchi, and bean sprouts.
Despite a short cooking time of just 5 minutes, it delivers a deep flavor, making it easy to prepare a healthy meal even on busy days.
The hearty pork backbones, crunchy bean sprouts, and tangy kimchi create an exquisite harmony.
The sweet and spicy seasoning blends perfectly with the ingredients, making it an excellent side dish for rice or a great accompaniment to drinks.
This is an easy-level dish that anyone can follow with ingredients ready.
It's a wonderful meal to warm you up on a chilly day or for the whole family to enjoy together.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
Since this recipe utilizes already cooked pork backbones, any type of leftover backbones will work.
If purchasing fresh, choose ones with a good amount of meat and ensure they are fresh.
Bean sprouts are key to this recipe; it's important to select fresh products with a crisp texture, such as Gomgom Jeju Organic Bean Sprouts.
Fresh bean sprouts have plump stems and yellow heads, ensuring a fresh and crunchy texture.
For chives, choose ones with vivid color, no withered parts, and not overly thick stems.
For kimchi, using moderately fermented kimchi rather than overly sour kimchi will create a deeper flavor when combined with the seasoning.
If the kimchi is too sour, you can neutralize the sourness by adding a little sugar.
🔄 Substitution Guide
Instead of pork backbones, you can use pork ribs or chicken for dakbokkeum-tang (닭볶음탕) (spicy braised chicken).
Using pork ribs will give you a softer texture and richer meaty flavor, while chicken will result in a lighter and cleaner taste.
Adjust the cooking time according to the type of meat.
Instead of bean sprouts, you can use mung bean sprouts (숙주나물) to maintain a crunchy texture.
Mung bean sprouts cook faster than bean sprouts, so shorten the cooking time to about 1 minute.
If chives are unavailable, finely chopped green onions can add a fragrant touch, or torn perilla leaves can provide an aromatic flavor.
If you don't have kimchi, well-fermented young radish kimchi (총각김치) or cubed radish kimchi (깍두기) can also be a delicious alternative.
You can also create a spicy flavor by making a seasoning with red pepper powder, soy sauce, and sugar instead of kimchi, but it may lack the unique deep flavor of kimchi.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
The most important cooking points for this recipe are the order of adding ingredients, the use of jocheong (조청) (Korean grain syrup), and the cooking level of the bean sprouts.
First, add the pork backbones, seasoning, and kimchi first, and simmer until the kimchi is thoroughly cooked.
Adding an extra tablespoon of jocheong (조청) at this point helps balance the sourness of the kimchi and the overall flavor.
Simmering over medium heat for about 5 minutes will make the kimchi tender.
Second, adding bean sprouts last is key.
Overcooking bean sprouts can make them lose their crisp texture and become mushy, so after the kimchi is cooked, add the bean sprouts, cover, and cook for just 2-3 minutes until lightly done.
It's best to turn off the heat when the bean sprouts wilt and become translucent.
Third, sprinkle chives and toasted sesame seeds just before serving.
Chives cook sufficiently with residual heat, adding fresh aroma and color at the end, while toasted sesame seeds enhance the savory flavor of the dish.
Remembering these tips will help you make delicious pork backbone jjim without failure.
👨🍳 Directions
Add 2 tbsp of gochujang (고추장), 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of jocheong (조청) (Korean grain syrup), and kimchi (김치) to the leftover pork backbones.
Add one more tablespoon of jocheong (조청) and simmer until the kimchi is tender.
Once the kimchi is tender, add 10.6 oz of organic bean sprouts and simmer until cooked through.
Garnish with chives and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to finish.
💡 Tips
My husband asked for more bean sprouts when I made this for him.
This dish can be frozen and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.
📦 Storage & Reuse
The finished Bean Sprout-Laden Pork Backbone Jjim can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To maintain the crisp texture of the bean sprouts, it's best to consume it as soon as possible, but due to the nature of the steamed dish, the seasoning penetrates well, so it can be enjoyed deliciously even over time.
Freezing is also possible; portion it into single servings and store it in the freezer for about a month.
To reheat, microwave for 3-5 minutes or heat in a pot over low heat.
Adding a little water or broth at this time helps maintain moisture.
It tastes best when consumed immediately after thawing.
Since bean sprouts can become mushy, adding fresh bean sprouts when reheating after freezing is a good option.
🥢 Who This Is For
This Bean Sprout-Laden Pork Backbone Jjim is a hearty dish perfect for the whole family.
We highly recommend it, especially for those who prefer spicy stew-like dishes or desire a filling meal.
Its spicy flavor stimulates the appetite, making it excellent as a side dish for drinks or as a dish for entertaining guests.
Good accompaniments include warm white rice or fried rice, which pair well with steamed dishes, and refreshing bean sprout soup or seaweed soup.
Adding crunchy pickled onions or tangy radish wraps (무쌈) will allow you to experience an even more diverse blend of flavors.
🔥 Nutrition Info
This Bean Sprout-Laden Pork Backbone Jjim is estimated to be around 400-500 kcal per serving.
This can vary depending on the amount of pork backbone and its meat-to-bone ratio.
You can expect about 30-40g of protein from the pork backbones, 20-30g of fat, and about 20-30g of carbohydrates from the seasoning, kimchi, and bean sprouts.
Pork backbones are rich in protein and calcium, supporting bone health.
Bean sprouts are rich in asparagine, effective for relieving fatigue and hangovers.
They are also abundant in Vitamin C and dietary fiber, contributing to immune system strengthening and gut health.
Kimchi, a fermented food rich in probiotics, is good for gut health, and chives are high in Vitamin A and iron, helping prevent anemia.
While the sugars in jocheong (조청) serve as an energy source, it's advisable to consume them in moderation.
Overall, this is a highly nutritious dish, well-balanced with protein, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.
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