GOCHUJANG GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

One of my favorite condiments, gochujang, that gorgeous bright red Korean paste that adds a ton of flavor when it joins any party… Brown food is not exactly photogenic, so don’t let the looks deceive you, these were delicious, and quite easy to prepare.

GOCHUJANG GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

6 to 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
For marinade:
1/4 cup gochujang
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.

In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add the chicken thighs and the marinade. Toss well to combine until all the pieces are well coated. Marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours if you have the time, if not, 30 minutes will do.

Grill the chicken thighs 5 to 7 minutes per side, until fully cooked. Remove the pieces to a serving platter, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: In that particular evening, I grilled half of the pieces of chicken using this marinade and half using a simpler concoction (olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper), which is Phil’s favorite. We were both very happy with our meals, for my taste the gochujang marinade is near perfect, spicy but not too much, super flavorful.

I hope you consider keeping a jar of gochujang in your fridge, you won’t regret it!

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30Aug2022

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE: KOREAN CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Incredibly simple, Poultry by sallybr

Mix a few ingredients, marinate the chicken. Grill. Done. It will go into our rotation, which tells you how much we loved it. Spicy to the right level. Sweet to the right level. Tender and moist.

KOREAN CHICKEN THIGHS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons Gochujang sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste

Mix all ingredients for the marinade, whisking them well. Add the pieces of chicken and move them around to coat each piece with the marinade. Leave it in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

Sprinkle a little more salt on the pieces of meat and grill until done, about 7 minutes per side, depending on how hot your grill gets.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Two of my best buddies are Gochujang and Sriracha. I like to drizzle Sriracha over turkey burgers or other things ready to eat, but Gochujang I prefer to cook with. I find it a bit too strong on its own. In this marinade it is the dominant flavor, but unless you really dislike spicy food, it is not overpowering. I was quite amazed by how tasty leftovers turned out even when tortured fora couple of minutes in the microwave. We had them with air-fried zucchini (which I did not do a good job, over-crowded the basket and they turned out mushy), and British-style roasted potatoes (Sally pats herself on the back, they were perfect).

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11Jun2022

STICKY SPICY PORK OVER GOLDEN RICE

Posted in Pork by sallybr

Super simple recipe. If you use ground pork, no need to add any oil to the skillet. If you use ground turkey, add a tablespoon of grape seed oil before sautéing it.

STICKY SPICY PORK WITH ASPARAGUS AND EDAMAME
(inspired by Modern Proper)

1 pound ground pork
1/2 tsp salt
small bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup frozen edamame, no need to de-frost
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Gochujang sauce (or more to taste)
minced ginger, to taste (I used about 2 tsp)

Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork, season with salt, and use a spoon to break it up into large pieces. Cook, until beginning to brown and crisp, about 8 minutes, resisting the temptation to move it around. You want to get a nice crisp layer in the bottom. Add the asparagus and edamame, stir everything around, and cover the pan. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce with Gochujang and ginger.

Open the pan, add the prepared sauce and cook, stirring for another couple of minutes, until veggies are crisp-tender. Serve over golden rice (recipe available here) or plain steamed rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is the type of recipe that is at the table in no time… Make sure to prepare the rice in advance. If you follow my recipe for the golden rice, it sits in the burner for exactly 30 minutes, so you can start that step and 10 minutes later get going with the pork. Do not use asparagus that are overly thick, if that’s all you have, steam them for a couple of minutes in the microwave before using in this preparation. Finally, the most important thing is to get that crispy bottom on the pork before moving it around. Leftovers were still awe-inducing on day #2…

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21Sep2016

PORK RIBS: STICKY, SPICY, AND AWESOME

Posted in Pork by sallybr

Have I already mentioned how much we love ribs? I am sure I did, and more than once. My default recipe is the first one I blogged about back in 2011, a favorite with Phil and the kids. But I am always trying new versions, although the basic method, cooking low and slow, then blasting them in high heat stays unchanged. This recipe was recommended a while ago by my friend Kathy, and once I read the magical words Gochujang, I knew I was going to love it. Plus, when you marry Gochujang with apricot jam, well… you see where this is going. Explosion of flavors. Get your napkins. You’ll be digging into these babies with enthusiasm.

STICKY AND SPICY GOCHUJANG PORK RIBS
(adapted from The Splendid Table)

to cook the ribs:
1 large rack of pork spare ribs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger root (yes, half a cup)
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup soy sauce

for the sauce:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup gochujang (Korean red chile paste)
1/4 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

Put the ribs in a large saucepan or stockpot with the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let cook gently for 1½ hours, until the ribs are tender and cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix together well. Line a roasting pan with foil and heat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange the cooked ribs on the prepared pan and brush with the sauce to coat evenly. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning and basting the ribs with more sauce halfway through cooking. I do that step with the ribs loosely covered with aluminum foil.

Remove the pan from the oven and put the broiler on high. Brush the ribs once again with the remaining sauce, then broil until the sauce is sticky and just beginning to char at the edges.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Don’t be put off by the look of the meat once it’s out of the cooking liquid. Yes, it looks like hospital food, but a smear with the killer gochujang sauce and the perfect environment of a hot oven (or you could use the grill too if you prefer) will turn this ugly duckling into a gorgeous swan…

I like my ribs to be falling off the bone, and that’s the reason why I baked them covered after they were out of the pre-cooking bath. It helps to take them to that stage. They are quite spicy, but the ginger and sweetness of the apricot jam balance the heat quite well. I served them with thick spiralized cucumber, very simply dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and a sprinkle of Tajin, a Mexican spice mix I’m very fond of. Of course, you can go the more authentic route of rice and beans, maybe some cole-slaw, but ribs are heavy by definition, so I opt for a light side dish to compensate.