Quick Pork Belly & Spam Stew
Ready in 7 Minutes! Fall in Love with the Spicy and Flavorful Broth of Pork Belly & Spam Stew
While searching my fridge for stew ingredients, I found some zucchini and tofu. My first thought was soybean paste stew, but I wasn’t in the mood for that. Then, I spotted some leftover thinly sliced pork belly and a can of Spam. I thought, ‘This would be delicious with some gochujang!’ and a recipe started forming in my head. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations, but the taste exceeded them incredibly! That feeling of pleasant surprise is the best, isn’t it? It’s a super-speedy stew that takes less than 10 minutes to cook, yet it develops such a deep, rich flavor. This is what you call amazing value for money, right? When you’re short on stew ideas, how about this quick and easy Pork Belly & Spam Stew? Have a happy day today! ♡
Stew Ingredients- Thinly sliced pork belly: 1/2 cup (approx. 50-70g)
- Spam: 1/2 can (approx. 150g)
- Tofu: 1 block (approx. 300g)
- Zucchini: 1/2 (approx. 100g)
- Water: 3 cups (approx. 600ml)
Seasoning Ingredients- Gochujang (Korean chili paste): 2 Tbsp
- Beef-flavored soup stock powder (optional, for extra umami): 1 tsp
- Salt (adjust to taste): 1/2 tsp
- Minced garlic: 1 tsp
- Korean rice wine (Cheongju, for removing odor): 1 Tbsp
- Green onion (chopped): A small amount
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste): 2 Tbsp
- Beef-flavored soup stock powder (optional, for extra umami): 1 tsp
- Salt (adjust to taste): 1/2 tsp
- Minced garlic: 1 tsp
- Korean rice wine (Cheongju, for removing odor): 1 Tbsp
- Green onion (chopped): A small amount
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Pour 3 cups of water into a deep earthenware pot or saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Step 2
Slice the thinly sliced pork belly into bite-sized pieces, about 3-4 cm long. Since it’s already thinly sliced, minimal preparation is needed.
Step 3
Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm thick slices. Slice the zucchini into half-moon or square shapes of similar thickness. Cut the Spam into 1 cm thick slices as well. Pre-cutting the ingredients helps to shorten the cooking time.
Step 4
Once the water is boiling vigorously, add the sliced pork belly and separate the pieces. Then, dissolve the 2 Tbsp of gochujang into the broth, ensuring there are no lumps. This will give the stew its spicy kick.
Step 5
After the gochujang has dissolved, add 1 Tbsp of Korean rice wine (cheongju) to remove any porky odor, and 1 tsp of minced garlic to infuse the broth with garlic flavor.
Step 6
Add the prepared tofu, zucchini, and Spam into the pot in order. Let it simmer over medium heat until all ingredients are cooked through. Be careful not to stir too vigorously, as this can cause the tofu to break apart.
Step 7
Once all the ingredients are well-cooked, taste the stew. If it’s too bland, season with salt to your preference. For added umami, you can stir in 1 tsp of beef-flavored soup stock powder. Finally, add the chopped green onions and let it simmer for another minute.
Step 8
Transfer the piping hot Pork Belly & Spam Stew to the table and enjoy! It makes a satisfying meal when served with rice.