Grilled Gochujang Chicken Thighs

 

This recipe is a huge celebration of flavor. Just check out the first 3 ingredients: spicy Gochujang , incredibly sweet maple syrup and mellow-sweet apple juice. This baby is going to spank every single tastebud on your tongue.

Gochujang is a favorite of mine. It's a dark red paste made from chili peppers, sticky rice and soybeans. People's first assumption is that it's going to be hot (chili peppers, oh my!). But it is not. Gochujang is actually fermented, which moderates the heat and ventures ever-so-slightly into sweetness territory. If you can't find it in the Asian section of your grocery store, Amazon has it.

I recommend that you serve this dish with basmati rice and quick Korean pickles. To make the latter, use a mandoline or knife to make uniform slices of an English cucumber. Toss the slices into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss to mix and let mixture sit for 30 minutes. Then serve.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons Gochujang

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons apple juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced 

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Sesame seeds, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare your grill for 2-zone cooking: One side should have direct heat and the other side no heat.
2. Make the paste: Place the Gochujang, maple syrup, apple juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a medium bowl or measuring cup. Whisk to combine. Place 1/4 cup of this paste in a small bowl and reserve the rest for basting while grilling.
3. Place chicken thighs in a large shallow pan. Using a pastry brush or spoon, lightly brush both sides of the chicken with the paste. 
4. Place chicken thighs, skin side down, directly over the direct heat zone of your grill and grill for 4 to 5 minutes with the grill covered (good grill marks should be visible). Then flip the thighs and cook covered for another 4 to 5 minutes over direct heat.
5. Move the chicken to the cool side of the grill, skin side up. Brush with more paste and close the lid. Cook for 10 minutes with the grill covered. Then uncover the grill, brush thighs with more paste and cook for an additional 10 minutes, grill covered. 
6. When done (chicken should be at 165º), plate and garnish with sesame seeds. Then serve.

Wine pairing: Zinfandel (red) or Sauvignon Blanc (white)

Little Bites

 

BIRRIA TACOS: There's a restaurant I frequent that just hired a new Sous Chef. He's a native of Mexico and the restaurant has been rolling out some of his favorite dishes from home. What really caught my attention were his tacos...especially the Birria Tacos. Just incredible flavor and they are served with a special consommé for dipping the tacos in. I went home after sampling his and looked up how to make them. My eyes glossed over when I looked at the number of special chiles it took....and all the prep needed to make the tacos.

My AI of choice is Google's Gemini. So when I asked Gemini to find me an easy way to make Birria Tacos. one of the alternatives was the Birria Bomb (found on Amazon.com)....and oh my god...this proved to be the easiest way to make them. You grab a chuck roast. Sear it. Then slap it into a slow cooker. Add 4 cups of beef broth and one Birria Bomb (a little round ball with all of the seasonings contained therein). Cook for 8 hours, then shred the meat. Assemble the tacos and use the consommé from the slow cooker. Easy peasy and absolutely to die for.

click to enlarge

OXO MEASURING JIGGER: I found this little gem on Amazon and I have been using it daily since I got it. It's enabled me to stop using those wiggly, jiggly measuring spoons. The jigger is made of steel and it is just 2 inches tall. The measurements are all printed on the inside on an angled surface, which makes it easy to read from above. Best of all? No more septuagenarian spoon spills transferring liquids from a container to a pan.