Yakgochujang (Stir-Fried Chili Paste)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 10-inch skillet or small saute pan
• •Stiff silicone spatula or wooden spatula
• •Clean 2-cup glass or ceramic jar with lid
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the beef

   If the beef is coarse, chop it once more with a knife so it will disappear into the sauce instead of sitting in lumps. Mix it with the soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Let it stand 10 minutes while you measure the gochujang. This short rest seasons the meat through; longer is not needed for pieces this small.

2. 2

   Loosen the paste

   Stir the gochujang with the water or unsalted beef broth until it is smooth enough to pour slowly from a spoon. Keep the honey and jocheong separate for now. Sugar burns before gochujang has finished frying, so it goes in later.

3. 3

   Cook the beef dry

   Warm 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned beef and press it apart with a spatula into fine grains. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, until no pink remains and the pan looks dry, not wet. If you use a thermometer, minced beef should reach 71C or 160F. This matters because the sauce is meant to keep.

   If more than a tablespoon of fat pools in the pan, spoon some off. A little carries flavor; too much makes the finished paste dull and greasy.
4. 4

   Fry the gochujang

   Turn the heat to low and add the loosened gochujang to the beef. Stir and scrape the whole time for 10 to 12 minutes. The color will darken from bright red to brick red, the raw chili edge will soften, and the paste will begin to pull from the spatula in a soft mound. If it sticks too fast, add 1 tablespoon water and lower the heat. The point is slow frying, not scorching.

   Master Seong-nyeo watched the edge of the pan, not the clock. When a glossy line appears where the paste meets the skillet, you are close.
5. 5

   Sweeten and finish

   Stir in the honey, jocheong, the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, the sesame seeds, and the pine nuts if using. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more, still on low, until a spoon dragged through the paste leaves a trail that holds for about 2 seconds. Taste only after it has cooked a minute, because hot sugar lies on the tongue. Add up to 1 teaspoon more honey if your gochujang is harsh, but do not chase sweetness. This should finish a bowl, not cover it.

6. 6

   Cool and store

   Scrape the yakgochujang into a clean shallow bowl and let it cool until barely warm, about 20 minutes. Spoon it into a clean 2-cup jar, press the surface flat, cover, and refrigerate. Use a clean spoon every time and keep it cold; with beef inside, this is not a jar to leave on the table. Serve 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons for one bowl of bibimbap, less if your namul are already well seasoned.

Chef Tips

• •Taste your gochujang before you begin. Some commercial tubs are already sweet, and some are salty and sharp. The measure here is for a balanced paste; if yours tastes like candy, reduce the honey by 1 tablespoon.
• •Lean beef keeps better and gives a cleaner spoonful. Sirloin, round, or 90 percent lean ground beef all work. If you mince by hand, cut across the grain and then chop fine so the meat becomes part of the sauce.
• •The safe corner to cut is the vessel. A skillet is fine; you do not need an earthen pot. The corner not to cut is the slow frying, because raw gochujang tastes flat and scorched gochujang tastes bitter.
• •For bibimbap, season each namul on its own first, then add the yakgochujang at the end. Spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and bracken should not all taste like chili paste. Let each one taste like itself.
• •For a meatless version, replace the beef with 120g soaked dried shiitake mushrooms, squeezed dry and minced, plus 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Cook the mushrooms until their moisture is gone before adding gochujang. It becomes a different jar, but an honest one.

Advance Preparation

• •Yakgochujang is best made at least a day ahead, after the flavors have settled. Keep it refrigerated and use within 3 weeks, always with a clean spoon.
• •Freeze tablespoon portions on a lined tray, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Drop one frozen portion into a lunch bowl and let the rice warm it through.
• •The beef can be seasoned up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring it out only while you measure the paste, then cook it fully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 42g)