Korean kimchi jjigae built on sesame and peanut oil, sliced garlic, diced pork belly and onion, the gochujang and aged kimchi turning the broth properly crimson and sour. Apple vinegar for the lift. Comfort food with conviction.

Aged kimchi (the jar that's been at the back of the fridge for a month or more, where the cabbage has gone soft and the brine smells slightly cheesy) is the only kimchi that makes a proper jjigae. Young, crisp, fresh kimchi tastes clean and right on its own but doesn't have the fermented depth to power a stew. The funk is the whole point.

Pork belly is the cut that defines this stew. The high fat content renders out into the broth as it simmers, adding richness that the chilli paste sits against; the lean meat tenderises through the cook into something that flakes against a spoon. Dice into 2cm cubes, render the fat hard at the start so the cooking medium becomes the meat's own fat.

Apple vinegar is the brightener. A tablespoon added late in the cook sharpens the sour note of the kimchi without making the stew taste vinegary; substitute rice vinegar at a pinch. Serve in hot bowls with short-grain rice on the side and a small dish of fresh kimchi for anyone who wants more bite. A cold Hite lager alongside.