Spicy Kimchi made with Huck’s special Citrus IPA
There is one food in this world I can honestly say I do not like! I’m not one to pass up food, as I’m sure I’ve told you guys a million times. If you offer me something, I’ll probably eat it. I’m all for adventurous eating, and trying new ingredients, but you will never see this one dish {I guess we can call it a dish} in my house.
Sauerkraut! Blah {Said in my best Oma impersonation}!! Luckily, my German hubby hates the stuff, too.
I’m not sure when my hatred for sauerkraut started. Growing up, I wasn’t really a fan of cabbage. I HATED the smell of boiled cabbage, so I usually avoided eating it, and I wasn’t a fan of coleslaw. I liked raw, plain cabbage and egg rolls. Over the years, I’ve started to like it more, but still can’t get on board with the whole sauerkraut thing. I will admit, I tried some homemade kraut at a local restaurant, a few months ago, and didn’t hate it! I didn’t try another bite, but it may have sparked an interest to trying to make it myself to see if homemade taste better than that junk from a bag you get from the grocery store.
I found it very surprising, that I LOVE kimchi! Really, it’s the same thing. Fermented cabbage. But it’s so much better! One of my favorite restaurants has a Kimchi Noodle Bowl that I order every time I go there. I honestly haven’t tried anything else. When I decided to try to make more food from scratch, I decided to try and recreate their noodle bowl at home. And having a huge jar of kimchi on hand at all times sounded like a good idea too. Fun fact, kimchi is fermented, and fermented foods are full of probiotics. Probiotics help strengthen your immune system, so kimchi is good for you!
A few weeks ago, I started researching how to make kimchi. I mainly wanted to found out what favors and ingredients were in a traditional recipe. I wasn’t able to find Korean Chili Powder at my local grocery store and had to go to the international food store to find it. You can also order it online from Amazon, and I tried making it with regular chili powder and it turned out good. Definitely not traditional but works in a pinch. You’ll just want to cut back on the amount of powder you use because it’s much hotter. I also read you can substitute crust red pepper flakes, but I didn’t test this recipes using it. I would start off mild and increase the spice. I was a little heavy handed with my first batch and it was HOT!!! We still enjoyed it.
For this recipe, I used Huck’s Citrus IPA. He uses a ton of orange zest and Citra hops to give his beer a strong citrus smell and flavor. Honestly, the beer possibilities are endless on this one. IPA’s pair well with spicy foods. That’s why I used it. If you try this recipe, let me know what beer you used. I’m almost out and ready for another batch. Be prepared, this stuff is addictive!
- 1 Napa Cabbage
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 Cup Beer
- 2 Cups Water
- ¼-1/2 Cup Korean Chili Powder- To Taste
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- ¼ Cup Beer
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Cloves Garlic- Minced
- ½ Tablespoon Minced
- Slice Napa Cabbage. In a large bowl, add Salt, Beer, and Water. Once salt is dissolved, add cabbage and place a plate or bowl on top of the cabbage. Use a can to weigh down the plate to fully submerge the cabbage in the salty/beer/water mixture. Soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain the cabbage and rinse very well to remove extra salt. Once rinsed, squeeze the cabbage to remove any extra water and add to a large bowl.
- In another bowl, combine the Chili Powder, Fish Sauce, Beer, Sugar, Garlic, and Ginger. Add the mixture to the cabbage and massage into the pieces of cabbage {I recommend wearing gloves for this step}.
- You can serve immediately or allow to ferment to desired taste. To ferment, place cabbage in a airtight container, like a mason jar. Press the cabbage tightly into the jar. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours before placing in the refrigerator. I stirred and repressed my kimchi daily for 3-4 days.
- Kimchi will last for weeks in the refrigerator.
Recipe inspired by “How to Make Easy Kimchi“ from The Kictchn
You know this is a dish me and your dad will enjoy. Thanks for sharing.
I’m sure you would!
I love cabbage, so it is no wonder that I love kimchi! I feel you though, there are just some foods I do not like. I do love sauerkraut, but it is an acquired taste! I used to hate pickles so don’t worry, tastes can change!
Every few years I will try it again to see if I’ve changed my mind. 30 years later, still not a fan :)
I’ve only bought Kimchi ready made, I LOVE the Trader Joe’s version and can’t stand the Whole Foods stinky version. Can’t wait to try homemade, thanks Sloane!
Haven’t tried to make my own kimchi, but am tempted now! Had apple kimchi at a restaurant the other day which was delicious!
That sounds really interesting. Was there cabbage in it too?
I’ve wanted to make kimchi as well, this sounds like a great recipe. Looks delish!