Budae Jjigae

Spicy “army stew” bubbling with kimchi, spam, sausage, and instant noodles.

Ingredients

• 1 cup kimchi
• 7 oz spam or canned ham
• 2 frankfurter sausages
• 1 tbsp gochugaru
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 4 cups stock or water
• 1 pack instant ramen noodles
• 1/2 cup American cheese slices

Steps

1. Arrange kimchi, spam, and sausages in a shallow pot; mound gochugaru and gochujang in the center.
2. Pour in enough stock to nearly cover; bring to a hard boil and stir the pastes into the broth.
3. Reduce to medium and simmer 10 minutes until kimchi softens and broth turns deep red.
4. Add ramen noodles and cook 1 minute less than package time so they stay springy in the broth.
5. Lay cheese on top to melt 30–60 seconds; add tofu or scallion if you like.
6. Eat communally from the pot; leftover broth is excellent poured over rice.