Ingredients used for Braised Dishes (조림)

Proteins for Braised Dishes

A variety of proteins can be braised. Remember though, I mentioned how fish, tofu, and vegetables are the most popular braised ingredients. But since this method is a slow and low cooking process, tougher and cheaper cuts of protein can be used and made tender depending on the recipe.

Chicken

Chicken Cuts:

• Breast quarter (어깨살)
• Whole chicken (통닭)
• Drumstick (다리살)
• Wing (날개)
• Chicken Egg
• Quail Egg

I listed a variety of chicken cuts that can be braised, but the chicken wing and drumstick are used the most.

Prepping the Chicken: When prepping your cut of chicken, you can wash then remove the skin and trim off the fat. Removing the skin is optional but it will give you a cleaner flavor and better texture after cooking. If you use chicken with large bones, you can soak the chicken for 30 minutes to release the blood. You can also soak the chicken in milk to remove the natural aroma and tenderize it. After soaking the chicken in milk, you can blanch it for 10 minutes before using it. Finally, to ensure that large cuts of chicken absorb the sauce and also cook all the way through, you can score the thicker sections of the meat by cutting slightly into the flesh at an angle. 

Chicken Cooking Tips: When using chicken wings for your braised dish you can quickly stir fry them and make them golden before adding the liquid and braising to add more depth and color.

Eggs

Types of Eggs:

• Chicken eggs
• Quail eggs

Eggs like chicken or quail are usually braised in a sweet and savory soy sauce broth with or without beef.

Prepping your Eggs: When prepping your eggs, I recommend that you only cook the eggs to a soft boil. This is done by bringing the water to a simmer, then adding the eggs and letting them continue to simmer for 10 minutes. The reason we undercook the eggs are so that once you add the peeled soft-boiled eggs to the braising liquid and cook further, they are not overly cooked. Quail eggs should be cooked for the full length of time because they are more delicate, and it is harder to peel if they are not firm. After fully cooking you can add them to the braising liquid.

Pork

Pork Cuts:

• Picnic shoulder (앞다리살)
• Shank (사태)

Pork is less commonly braised, but it can be.

Prepping the Pork: Before using pork, you need to prep it. First, wash it, then remove any tough silver skin or excess fat. If there is a bone in your cut of pork, then soak the pork to remove the blood for a cleaner flavor. You want to also blanch large and tough pieces of pork by simmering for 10 minutes to clean and ensure it is cooked well once braised. Tougher cuts of meats should be simmered on a slightly lower heat for a longer amount of time.

Beef

Beef Cuts:

• Brisket (앞다리)
• Shank (사태)
• Plate & Flank (양지)
• Eye of round (설도)
• Rump (우둔)
• Tenderloin (안심)

Beef is often braised in a recipe called 장조림. 장조림 is beef braised with boiled eggs and peppers (either spicy or shishito peppers). Tougher cuts of beef can be used when making this dish and then torn apart by hand once tender into thin pieces.

Prepping the Beef: Before using your beef, you want to wash it, and cut away any excess fat (fatty cuts of meat will make fat chunks in the 장조림 once it cools so I prefer to use a low-fat cut of beef for that dish), and then soak the beef to remove any blood for a cleaner flavor and to remove impurities. You can soak your beef even if it does not contain bones. Finally, you want to blanch your beef in water for 10 minutes, and then it’s ready to use for your recipe.

Tofu 

Types of Tofu:

• Firm tofu (usually sliced) is ideal because it holds its shape well while braising.

Tofu is a popular and common braising ingredient. You can use any texture you prefer, but if it is too soft, it will not hold its shape well, so I recommend medium firm to firm, not silken tofu.

Prepping the Tofu: When prepping the tofu, first slice the tofu into slightly thicker, even slices. You can pan fry the tofu in a flavored oil made with garlic and green onion before braising to add color and flavor, but that is optional. After slicing the tofu, make an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Try not to overlap the tofu; this is an important tip when making braised tofu. The cool thing about tofu is that it is ready to eat right out of the package, so you can simmer it at medium temperature until the liquid is 1/2 reduced, then it is ready to eat. Braised tofu dishes are one of the faster-braised dishes to make than other braised dishes. 

Fish

Types of Fish:

• Beltfish (갈치)
• Mackerel (고등어)
• Porgies (도미과)
• Pollock (명태)
• Pacific saury (꽁치)
• Yellow Croaker (조기)
• Okhotsk atka mackerel (임연수어)
• Japanese Spanish mackerel (삼치)

Various kinds of fish are the most popular ingredient to braise in Korean cuisine. You will see many braised fish dishes in Korean cuisine; it is way more common than braised meat dishes. 

Prepping the Fish: Fish should be cleaned and descaled as usual, and the guts, tails, and fins should be removed to prevent any bitter flavor in the braised dish. You can keep the fish head intact if you want otherwise, cut it off and cut the body of the fish into 3 even sections. Then score the fish by making incisions at an angle on the fish skin. 

Fish Cooking Tips: You should not overcook your fish when braising. Most fish should be done and tender after 15-20 minutes of simmering. If it is overcooked, it will be dry.

As you know, fish can have a strong natural aroma which can make it less appetizing when braised. We take steps to remove the fish smell by using soju (소주) or Mirin (미림). You can also add some soybean paste (된장) to your braising liquid to remove some fish smell while it cooks.

Vegetables added to Braised Dishes

There are a variety of vegetables you can use in your braised dishes. Below are some popular ones used for seasoning and adding flavor to Korean braised dishes.

Some examples are potato, onion, carrot, green onion, garlic, pepper (mild or spicy), radish, and a variety of mushrooms like shiitake and trumpet.  

When using these vegetables in braised dishes, you want to cut them into large, uniform pieces. Smaller cuts will dissolve before the dish is done braising. If you think you cut your vegetables too large to finish cooking before the other ingredients are done cooking, then you can blanch your prepped vegetables in water before adding them to your braised dish.

When making braised dishes, the vegetables should be added based on the amount of time it takes to cook that vegetable. You would not add the delicate green part of the green onion too early, or it will be overcooked. You will need to practice adding your vegetables so that you can learn the general time frame for adding vegetables so that they are all cooked perfectly. 

Sour or aged Kimchi can also be used to braise with other proteins. Sour/aged kimchi should be used for braising because it adds more flavor and depth. You can prep your kimchi by cutting off the root and releasing the leaves. You can use these long whole leaves of kimchi and braise them with pork, tofu, or fish. When adding kimchi to braised foods, stir fry it first separately to improve the texture and enhance the umami flavor. 

Vegetables you can Braise Alone

Vegetables can be braised alone without a protein to make a dish. Popular vegetables that are braised are radish, potato, lotus root, or burdock root (우엉).

If the cuts of vegetables are very large, you can blanch them in salt water before braising to quicken the cooking process. You can use a whole small potato with the skin on or off to braise. You can also use it thickly sliced or into thick even chunks.

Lotus root needs some special prep before it is braised. First, place lotus in cold water with one spoon of vinegar. Lotus root has a sharp stinging flavor that we need to remove; soaking it in the vinegar water removes this and prevents it from becoming brown. After soaking, you can slice the lotus root into about ¼-inch pieces (you can also slice it before and soak it.)

Radish is often braised. You can prep it by cutting it into whole large thick round slices, or those thick slices can be cut into quartered pieces. It is optional to keep the skin on the radish. A pro to keeping the skin on the radish is that it helps to keep the structure of the radish as it is braised.

Vegetables like radish and potato should be simmered until tender and the sauce is fully reduced and absorbed.