Step 1

Cut the thinly sliced pork belly into bite-sized pieces and mix it with the grated garlic and ginger, along with the soy sauce and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Step 2

Use your hands to squeeze out as much of the juices in the kimchi as possible into a bowl and set this aside. You can add the squeezed kimchi into the bowl with the pork belly if you'd like.

Step 3

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the marinated pork belly and squeezed kimchi, and spread everything out into an even layer. Let this mixture fry undisturbed until the pork belly starts to render out some fat and the kimchi starts to brown (about 1-2 minutes). If you are using a leaner cut of meat, you will need to add oil to the pan.

Step 4

Stir-fry the mixture until the pork is cooked and everything begins to brown around the edges (another 1-2 minutes).

Step 5

Add the water, kimchi juice, and gochujang and stir everything together. Let this simmer for a minute to allow the flavors to meld. Taste soup for salt and spice and adjust with salt and gochugaru to taste.

Step 6

If you are using frozen pre-cooked udon, add them to the kimchi soup along with the garlic chives and cover the pot with a lid. Let this simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the udon is warmed up. If you are using fresh udon noodles, you'll want to pre-boil them for 2 minutes less than the package directions and then drain and rinse them in cold water before adding them to the kimchi soup.

Step 7

When the noodles are heated through, remove the lid and stir everything together. Divide the noodles between two bowls, top with the kimchi and pork, then ladle on the soup. Garnish each bowl with a soft-boiled egg.