Gochujang and sake barbecue sauce
Gochujang is an extremely hot Korean pepper paste made from the gochugaru chili. It is the special ingredient in Korean barbecue, kimchee and many stews. Once a rare ingredient, it’s now available as gochujang paste in the international section of most grocery stores. Feel free to reduce the amount of gochujang if you like, as it really is quite spicy.
With the heat from the gochujang, the sweetness of the honey and hoisin sauce and the umami (meatiness) from the fish sauce and soy sauce, this barbecue sauce is ideal for grilled meats like pork and beef. Used more sparingly, it’s good on chicken too (dark meat is best). We like to use this sauce on baby back rib racks and it’s particularly good for pulled pork.
Ingredients
MAKES: about 420 ml
- 30 ml safflower oil
- 5 scallions trimmed, white parts only, minced
- 2 tbsp 43 g minced garlic
- 3 tbsp 27 g freshly grated ginger
- 80 ml tomato paste
- 60 ml gochujang paste
- 60 ml sake
- 60 ml water
- 60 ml hoisin sauce
- 60 ml honey
- 15 ml fish sauce
- 15 ml soy sauce
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the safflower oil.
- Add the scallions, garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until the scallions are softened but the garlic is not too brown.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the gochujang paste, sake, water, hoisin, honey, fish sauce and soy sauce and whisk to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, whisking often.
- Remove from the heat and cool.
- Brush the sauce on grilling meats or use afterward as a barbecue sauce.