Tony Zentgraf
Skewered Street Food Around The World
Doenjang Korean Pork Skewers is a Korean skewer that uses a sauce in the marinade called doenjang. This sauce is a Korean condiment that is packed with umami. Garlicky, earthy and pungent flavors that when mixed with the ingredients of this recipe blend together and infuse the pork.
Saute some garlic chives and serve with some Ssamjang, another garlicky, salty, savory & sweetness that pairs well with grilled meats. Grill over charcoal to get some authentic bits of char on the pork skewer.
Familiar with Gochujang? But what about Doenjang?
Gochujang is a spicy relative of Doenjang. Where Gochujang is made from fermented chilis, Doenjang is made from soybeans. The soybeans are soaked in water, boiled in saltwater, pounded and ground, then formed into blocks and fermented.
The labor intensive process doesn’t stop there, it is washed and dried then soaked in a brine in clay pots. After this long process, the fermented blocks are then mashed into Doenjang.
Ssamjang – the best of both Jang
Before we talk about Ssamjang let’s go down the path of what is Jang. Jang is a fermented paste or sauce, many households in Korea make their own Jang.
Similar process described above but each family had their own types of clay fermenting pots that are breathable thus aiding in the year long fermentation process.
Ssamjang is a mixture of Gochujang and Doenjang, giving a less spicy punch of the fermented chili Gochujang but packs a greater umami flavor. Ssamjang also packs a sweeter flavor with sesame and garlic added.
It is a great condiment for lettuce wraps and was a great addition to the Doenjang marinade of the grilled pork skewers.
Garlic Chives, Never Heard of Them?
You may be familiar with chives, the onion-flavored tube, grassy-like friend of many home gardens that you may be accustomed to using on a baked potato.
Garlic chives, native to Asian countries, are flat bladed instead of hollow tubes with a blue green color. The flavor is less onion and more garlic, less garlic bite than a clove of garlic.
Sauteed, they give a nice garlic addition to a dish that can cut through hearty umami of some of the jangs. It is a great vegetable to add to some sautees as well.
There is a variation to garlic chives that I have used at Asian restaurants called Yellow Chives. The Yellow Chives are basically a garlic chive that has been grown without light, producing a yellow chive.
You may have seen these chives in a dish at your favorite Asian restaurant. They are not cheap and many times of the year their availability in the U.S. is variable due to harvest times.
They are more delicate and may not last as long as garlic chives. If you come across them, give them a try.
Enjoy this recipe for Doenjang Korean Pork Skewers!
Doenjang Korean Pork Skewers
Print RecipeEquipment
- 12 Bamboo Skewers - Soak in water
Recipe Multiplier
- 1 ½ lb Pork diced (shoulder, butt, sirloin)
- 2 tbsp Doenjang
- 1 ea Yellow Onion 1/4" diced
- 3 ea Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 2 tsp Corn Syrup
- ½ tsp White Pepper
- Oil to coat the grill grates
Instructions
Preparing the Pork
- Clean any unwanted fat from the pork. You want some fat marbling with the pork.
- Cube the pork into 1" – 1 ½" cubes
Making the Marinade
- Chop the onions and mince the garlic.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash together with a wooden spoon.
- Incorporate all ingredients together. It may seem like it is too thick but once you add the pork to the marinade it will coat the pork.
- Add the pork to the marinade and mix to combine and coat all the pieces.
- Marinate for a minimum of 3 hours but 6-10 would be idea.
Skewering and Cooking the Pork
- Soak the 10-12" long bamboo skewers for 1-3 hours.
- Skewer 5-6 pieces on each skewer toward the top end of the skewer. Leave about 1" at the top.
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
- Lay a double thick piece of aluminum foil at the front of the grill so the skewers do not burn.
- Oil the grill grates.
- Lay the skewers on the grill with the handle part of the skewer over the aluminum foil.
- Grill, turning every couple of minutes to avoid burning. You want to develop a good char on the pork.
- Once the pork temperature reaches 140° remove from the grill and serve immediately. Temperature will increase approximately 5 degrees while resting. Enjoy!
