When I wrote the original Barbecue! Bible, few Americans had ever tasted Korean barbecue. Today, we can’t seem to grill without it. Defined by the umami flavors of gochujang (a pungent spicy condiment made from fermented soybeans and sticky rice) and the slow burn of hot pepper powder, Korean barbecue satisfies our inexhaustible hunger for barbecue, fire, and spice. And few people do it better than Cody Taylor and Jiyeon “Jiji” Lee of Heirloom Market BBQ in Atlanta. Taylor comes from Houston, Jiji from Seoul, and their popular barbecue joint (located in a former convenience store), with its fusion of East-West flavors, typifies new school American barbecue. The poultry and pork shoulders here marinate for 48 hours in Korean gochujang prior to being slow-smoked over hickory and oak. The spicy pork sandwich gets a triple blast of flavor from Korean barbecue sauce, sriracha, and Thai sweet chili sauce.
Use the sauce to make Korean Pulled Pork.
— Steven Raichlen
Excerpted from Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades—Bastes, Butters & Glazes, Too by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2017. Photographs by Matthew Benson.
| Servings |
| 6 cups (enough to serve 8-10) |
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You'll need to know about one special ingredient here—gochujang—a dark, thick, salty, spicy paste made from fermented soy beans, rice, salt, garlic, and chilies. Look for it at Korean and Asian markets, or order it from Amazon.
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- 1-1/2 cups cold water
- 1 cup Sprite or other lemon-lime soda
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
- 2 cups (about 1 pound) gochujang
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or to taste (optional)
- Place the water, Sprite, sugars, and soy sauce in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the sugars are dissolved, 3 minutes, whisking well. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly, then whisk in the sesame oil, gochujang, and rice vinegar, if using. Transfer the sauce to clean jars. Covered and kept refrigerated, the sauce will keep for at least 1 month.
