Korean Army Base Stew with Ramyeon and Cheese
A bubbling, unruly pot of everything delicious thrown together: sliced spam, hot dogs, baked beans, fiery kimchi, and instant ramyeon noodles swimming in a gochugaru-laced broth, crowned with a melting blanket of American cheese. Born from post-war ingenuity, this stew is a glorious collision of Korean and American pantry staples that has become a beloved comfort classic.
Ingredients
- 1 can (12 oz) spam, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 4 hot dogs or cocktail sausages, sliced diagonally
- 1 cup well-fermented kimchi, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup kimchi brine
+ 13 more ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the soup base by whisking together gochugaru, gochujang, soy sauce, minced garlic, and kimchi brine in a small bowl until combined.
Arrange the ingredients in a wide, shallow pot or Korean army stew pot (budae jjigae pot) in organized sections: lay the spam slices on one side, hot dog slices next to them, kimchi in another section, baked beans in another, tofu slices, sliced onion, and rice cakes if using. This presentation is traditional.
Pour the soup base mixture over the arranged ingredients, then add the chicken broth, pouring it around the edges so as not to disturb the arrangement too much.
Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Let it bubble vigorously for 10 minutes, allowing all the flavors to mingle and the broth to develop depth.
Nestle the dry ramyeon noodle blocks into the center of the bubbling stew. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the noodles soften and absorb some of the spicy broth.
Lay the American cheese slices over the top and scatter the green onions across the surface. Cover for 1 minute until the cheese melts into a gooey blanket.
Bring the pot directly to the table on a portable burner to keep it simmering throughout the meal. Serve with steamed rice on the side.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI