Before you loose your %#^@* about how I incorrectly spelled craving with a K. This was done intentionally! I figured it would be a fun twist on the topic of Korean food because Korea is spelled with a K and this recipe is an homage to their cuisine. I recently learned that Korean food is open to change and interpretation. It is probably the only culture I know of that won’t get super upset if you make some changes so give this recipe a try as is first. Then the second time around feel free to experiment. Happy BBQing!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125ml) soy sauce
optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons Korean chili paste (gochujang) or Sriracha, depending on how hot you like things- 1 small onion, peeled and grated or pureed in a food processor
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mirin or rice wine*
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (peeled or unpeeled)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 to 1 1/4 pounds, 450-575g)
Directions
1. Mix the soy sauce, chili paste or hot sauce, onion, brown sugar, mirin or rice wine, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, a few generous turns of black pepper, and sesame seeds in a large zip-top freezer bag.
2. Lay the thighs on a cutting board, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and pound them so they’re about 1/3-inch (1cm) thick with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or another heavy object. (You can also pound them, a few at a time, in a separate freezer bag to make clean-up easier.) Trim off any excess fat.
3. Put the thighs in the plastic bag with the marinade, press excess air out of the bag, seal it closed, and massage it so the marinade covers the chicken. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight. The chicken can also be marinated in a stainless steel or glass bowl, covered and turned several times while it’s marinating.
(Optional: You can cut lengths of scallions and put them in the bag with the marinade, then grill them with the chicken, too.)
4. To cook, heat your grill to high heat. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and lay them flat on the hot grill. When well-seared on the bottom, turn them over and cook another few minutes until the thighs are cooked through. The total cooking time will be less than 5 minutes. (You can baste the thighs with any leftover marinade while grilling.)
To cook in a skillet, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before marinading and put them in a large, lightly oiled skillet. When the chicken is seared on the bottom, stir the chicken and add any leftover marinade and let it reduce in the pan while the chicken finishes cooking.
Recipe source: David Lebovitz
Photo source: Kusina101.com
