In this post, I will answer commonly asked questions about Korean braised dishes cooking steps that people who cook Korean braised dishes may encounter. You may see certain steps in Korean braised dish recipes and wonder if they are important or just extra unnecessary work. I will clarify why certain steps are important so that next time you can better understand braised dishes. 

How much liquid should be added to my braised dish?

The amount of liquid you add to your braised dishes is important. In most recipes, you do not need to submerge your ingredients in the liquid fully. The liquid should come 1/2 way up the side of the ingredients in the pot.

If you add too little liquid to your braised dish, the ingredients can burn. If you add too much liquid, the ingredients will be overcooked and mushy before the liquid is reduced all the way.

If you use a lot of radishes or if you are making a braised radish dish, you can add less water to the pot. The reason you can add even less liquid to the pot is that the radish will release water as it simmers. So, you can consider that aspect when you are making your braised dishes that contain radish.

An extra tip when it comes to the liquid is that when you add your seasoning sauce to your braised dish, you can use a spoon to scoop and pour some liquid over the sauce to mix it within the liquid. You do not want to stir all the ingredients with the liquid and sauce because you will damage delicate ingredients. Just gently spoon the liquid over the sauce to combine it. 

How should I put the ingredients in the pot?

In most cases with braised dishes, you want to place the ingredients in an even layer on the bottom of the pot without overlapping the ingredients. You can place high water content veggies like radish and onion on the bottom, then place proteins like fish on top. As your ingredients simmer, you can gradually add more delicate vegetables. Remember, we do not want to overcook delicate vegetables, so timing matters. 

At what temperature should I braise my dish?

The first step after adding the liquid to all the ingredients in the pot is to turn the heat on high until the ingredients come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, immediately turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer.

If the fire is too hot for too long, it will burn the ingredients. If you do not bring it to a boil initially and the heat is too low, the ingredients will overcook before the sauce reduces.

I recommend you use medium – medium-low heat, which will look like a mild simmer.

If I can’t stir the ingredients as they braise, how can I prevent them from burning as they cook?

When making braised dishes, you do not stir the ingredients as they braise. This may make you nervous that maybe they are burning since they are not stirred. There are some points to ensure your food does not or is not accidentally burning. 

Since there are delicate ingredients like fish in the braised dish, again, you do not want to stir the ingredients. Instead, if you are wondering if everything is okay, then you can gently shake the pot to move the ingredients around or gently lift them up with a spoon to ensure the liquid is under the ingredients.

When you first add the liquid to the ingredients, before you even turn on the heat, you should make sure that liquid has gotten under all of the ingredients by gently lifting them. If the liquid does not get under the ingredients, then the ingredients on the bottom can burn.

Another tip is to add high water content ingredients like onion, the white part of green onion, and or radish to the bottom of the pot. Adding high water content vegetables on the bottom layer of the pot can help prevent burning as well. But remember get the liquid under those too when you add it just to be safe.

Again, it is important to add enough water in general to your braised dish to prevent burning. You want the water to go halfway up your ingredients in the pot. If too little water is added, it will evaporate too quickly, and your ingredients will burn. 

Finally, keeping a medium-low simmer when braising will help to prevent burning. Too high of a temperature can cause the ingredients to burn.

Why does it matter when I add the sweeteners?

The only few specifics regarding adding seasoning ingredients are related to when you add the sweetener. 

You want to add white sugar at the beginning of the cooking process. You can either mix it with other ingredients to make a paste that is then added to the liquid, or you can sprinkle it over the surface of the ingredients to ensure that it is evenly distributed and that it coats all the ingredients. 

Certain Korean syrups should be added at the end of the cooking process because they can add shine to your dish. If it is added too early, it may not be as shiny. Another reason some syrups, for example, 올리고당, are added at the end of the cooking process is that when this syrup is heated, it becomes less sweet. So, to maintain the sweetness of that syrup, we add it at the end. 

Why does it matter when I add the flavored oil?

You should add flavored oil like perilla seed oil or sesame oil at the end of the cooking process to add shine and flavor.

Another reason we add them at the end of the cooking process is because these two types of oils can develop a bitter flavor when cooked at a high temperature. When it comes to braised dishes, adding them at the end is the best.

Why does the braising liquid taste bland before being reduced?

When you first add the liquid to the ingredients along with the seasoning sauce, and you give it a taste once it is mixed together, you may think that it is too bland tasting.

The sauce and liquid should be bland tasting at first because once it is reduced, the flavor and salt will be stronger. Be careful not to over-salt the braised dish before it even reduces, or it will get even saltier. At the beginning of the cooking process, your braising liquid should taste bland do not worry. Always remember that a braised dish will reduce into a thick sauce.