KOREAN CHICKEN KEBOBS

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine gochujang, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Reserve 2 tablespoons and set aside.
2. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine gochujang mixture and chicken; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, up to 8 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
3. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers; brush with canola oil.
4. Add skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Brush skewers with reserved gochujang mixture, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds.

Source: https://damndelicious.net/2018/08/19/korean-chicken-kabobs/

 

JAPCHAE

Ingredients

• 6 ounces flank steak, cut into thin strips
• 3 minced garlic cloves, divided
• 6 teaspoons sugar, divided
• ¾ teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
• 4½ tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• 1 onion, sliced thinly
• 2 medium carrots, julienned
• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut into thin strips
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4 ounces baby spinach (about 3 large handfuls)
• 3 scallions, cut into 3-inch sections and thinly sliced
• 10 ounces of dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles)
• vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Mix the beef together with 1 clove of the garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
2. Prepare the vegetables, and set aside. Cook the noodles for 7 minutes in a large pot of boiling water. Strain and cut with scissors so that they’re a little shorter. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons sugar to the noodles. Toss thoroughly.
3. Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Stir-fry the onion and carrot with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until tender, but still a little crunchy. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and add the mushrooms. Cook until caramelized, and transfer to the mixing bowl along with the onion and carrot. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and cook the red peppers until tender. Add in the spinach, scallions, and the remaining garlic. Cook the entire mixture until the scallions and spinach are wilted. Transfer to the mixing bowl with the other vegetables.
4. Turn up your heat to high, and add the beef to the pan. Stir-fry for a couple minutes until the beef is no longer pink. Transfer the noodles and the beef to the mixing bowl, along with the sesame seeds.
5. Add 3 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2½ tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the mixing bowl full of ingredients. Toss to combine all the ingredients together, and serve.

Source: https://thewoksoflife.com/2017/06/japchae/

 

KOREAN BLACK BEAN NOODLES / JJANGMYEON

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• ½ pound pork belly or any marbled piece of pork, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup daikon or Korean radish, cut into ¼-inch cubes
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1 zucchini, cut into ¼-inch cubes
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
• ½ cup of chunjang, Korean black bean paste
• 3½ cups water
• Fresh Korean noodles
• Potato starch slurry (2 tablespoons of potato starch or cornstarch, combined with ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 small seedless cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks for garnish
• Yellow pickled radish and some additional cut raw onion, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Stir fry the pork belly until it’s golden brown and crisped. The secret is high heat and minimal stirring! If there is a significant amount of pork fat pooling in the pan, you can drain that off.
2. Add the radish and stir-fry for 1 minute, followed by the onion, zucchini, and potato. Stir-fry for another few minutes, until the potato is translucent.
3. Clear a space in the center of the wok or pan, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the Korean black bean paste (chunjang) and let it fry in the center of the pan in the oil for one minute. Now stir everything together.
4. Add 2 cups of water, and let the sauce come to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. This is the perfect time to cook your Korean noodles (follow the instructions on the package). I didn’t specify the quantity of noodles to use, because this recipe makes quite a lot of sauce, that can be reheated and served with freshly cooked noodles whenever you want them. Just cook the amount that you’d like to eat for each sitting.
5. After 10 minutes, check to make sure that the potato is cooked through. Once it’s fully cooked, add the potato starch slurry, and stir until thick and glossy. Finish off with the sesame oil.
6. Serve with the noodles, and garnish with the cucumber. On the side, serve with that signature pickled radish and chopped onion.

Source: https://thewoksoflife.com/2017/05/korean-black-bean-noodles-jajangmyeon/