Korean food, and the Middle Eastern European region (Russian, Polish, Ukrainian) foods are my all time favorite ethnic foods.
When I am eating Korean food, of course Korean is my very favorite. However, when I am eating Ukrainian food … I become a fickle food friend and immediately flop sides and Ukrainian (or Russian, or Polish, or Lithuanian) food becomes my favorite! They are so closely tied for pure taste-bud goodness!
I love all the spicy, fermented vegetables, the taste of the sea, the multi-grain rice, the SOUPS (so many soups!) Korean foods have deep, complex and strong tastes and I love that about it… just as much as I love the earthy, salty, homey, comfort-rich foods like stuffed cabbage, fluffy potato dumplings, pierogies and beet soup (Borscht) that hail from the Eastern European region.
Today if you where to ask me what my favorite food was, I would have to say with pure conviction: Korean! (Tomorrow is still up for grabs though!)
This barbecue sauce is full of the spicy, deep and complex flavors that make Korean foods so great! I use it on all kinds of things – grilled chicken and pineapple are just the tip of the iceberg!
It was a hot day here in Atlanta so I used this sauce on chicken breasts and pineapple and grilled it up outside so I wouldn’t heat up the kitchen. We ate our Korean grilled chicken and pineapple sliced thin with glass noodles and salad all rolled up in a rice paper wrap, a totally delicious and fun way to eat it!
With a good sauce the world is your oyster… there is no limit to what you can come up with in a flash for a quick, easy and TASTY dinner!
Korean Sweet Heat Barbeque Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Asian pear peeled and cubed up
- 1 Tbsp double strength apple vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp Gochujang Paste Korean Red Pepper Paste
- 4 Tbsp brown rice syrup
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp sesame seed oil
- 1 tsp Korean hot pepper flakes "Nice Tasty"(I love the English translations on Korean products!)
Instructions
- Blend everything up in the bender until smooth.
- Transfer to a small sauce pan.
- Bring to a boil. Keep at a grumpy boil for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce to a simmer and reduce by about ½ (about 10 minutes)
- The sauce reduces and becomes thick and delicious!
- Remove from heat add 1 tsp sesame oil and ½ tsp Korean hot pepper flakes (optional)
- Store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to a week!
- If you are going to use it to add a TON of flavor to your grilled chicken, start your chicken on the hot grill with just a little salt and pepper!
- Add the sauce to the chicken on the hot grill for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. The sugars in this sauce will burn if you add it at the beginning of the grill time.
- Remove from grill and allow to rest for five minutes.
- This chicken tastes great as is or you can use it in Rice Paper Wraps. Slice the chicken and pineapple thin, add cooked rice noodles, fried garlic, veggies and a little more of the barbecue sauce! Wrap it all up!
- Serve with a little sauce on the side to dip the rolls in!
