Sweet and Savory Yak Gochujang (Seasoned Beef Red Chili Paste)
A hearty side dish made by stir-frying ground beef and vegetables, then gently simmering them down with gochujang.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This special side dish is made by thoroughly stir-frying seasoned ground beef and aromatic vegetables until the moisture evaporates, then simmering them down with gochujang. With pear juice and honey added, it has a gentle, smooth sweetness rather than harsh heat, pairing wonderfully with bibimbap, ssam wraps, and everyday rice bowls.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Ground beef100 g
- Onion1/2
- Garlic6 cloves
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)5 tbsp
- Pear juice (or water)3 tbsp
- Honey (or corn syrup (mulyeot), sugar)1 tbsp
Meat marinade
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Ginger juice1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Prepare about 6 to 7 cloves if large, or about 10 if small. Adding more garlic is great, too.
- Use lean ground beef with little fat.
- If you have nuts on hand, you can chop them to a similar size and add them.
Steps
Prepare ground beef, onion, and about 6 to 7 large peeled garlic cloves or about 10 small ones.
Use lean ground beef with little fat, and season the meat with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), 1 tbsp ginger juice, and a little ground black pepper.
Adding ginger juice is great because it leaves zero meaty odor once cooked.
Finely chop the onion and garlic for a pleasant texture. Adding even more garlic tastes delicious, too.
Heat oil in a hot pan and stir-fry the onion and garlic to release their aroma.
Add the seasoned meat and stir-fry until the beef is fully cooked, the juices from the meat and vegetables have evaporated, and the mixture resembles fine, crumbly soboro.
You need to stir-fry it well like this so that excess grease does not pool when it cools, and any gamey odor is completely eliminated.
Add the gochujang (Korean red chili paste) and pear juice (or water), then simmer over low heat to cook off the moisture.
Once it reaches the right thickness, stir in the honey (or corn syrup or sugar) at the end, simmer briefly, and it is done.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adding ginger juice is great because it prevents any meaty odor once stir-fried.
- Make sure to stir-fry thoroughly until the moisture from the beef and vegetables evaporates into a crumbly soboro state; this keeps grease from pooling after cooling and removes gamey odors.
- Chilling it in the refrigerator allows the flavors to meld, moisture to evaporate further, deepening the flavor and giving the beef a chewy texture.
- If you make a generous batch, divide it into portions and freeze them. Simply thaw naturally in the refrigerator whenever you need it.
FAQ
Why is ginger juice added when seasoning the ground beef?
Adding ginger juice to the meat marinade completely eliminates any unwanted gamey smell or meaty odor when stir-fried.
What can I use as a substitute if I don't have pear juice?
It is also fine to substitute the pear juice with the same amount of plain water—three tablespoons—to adjust the consistency.
Why must the moisture be cooked off completely when stir-frying the meat?
Stir-frying until the liquid from the meat and vegetables reduces into a fine, crumbly soboro texture ensures that grease will not separate after cooling and keeps any odors at bay.
How should I store and serve prepared yak gochujang?
If you cook a large amount, divide it into portions and freeze it, then thaw naturally in the refrigerator whenever you want to enjoy it.
