Grilled Korean Pork Tenderloin

Gochujang is a slightly spicy, slightly tangy flavor-loaded Korean red pepper paste and a staple ingredient in Korean cooking. I like using it in stir-fry sauces, in marinades, and in finishing sauces to drizzle over grilled or roasted meat. Here, I made a simple mixture with gochujang as the base and used it as both a marinade and finisher. Simple ingredients, simple preparation, inviting flavor.

So what’s in gochujang? Common ingredients include ground rice, soy bean powder, hot pepper powder, red pepper powder, yeast powder, seed malt, and water. Cooking gochujang from scratch takes days because it needs to ferment awhile, but excellent pastes are available in Korean or general Asian markets.

Gochujang

Give the pork time to soak up lots of flavor from the marinade, then it’s ready for a short time on the grill. Drizzle on the leftover sauce, add a side of rice, and dinner is served.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp tamari (or regular soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vingar
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1-1/4 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
• sea salt
• cooked rice with cilantro, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Stir together the first 6 ingredients (through sugar) until well combined. Rub about 2-1/2 tablespoons of the mixture all over the pork, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight). Reserve the remaining marinade.

Gochujang Mixture

Pork with Marinade Rub

1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat with space for off-heat cooking.
2. Oil the grill grate, both on and off heat. Sprinkle the pork lightly with salt and place directly over the flame, turning every couple minutes as char marks appear. Move off heat (but still close to the flame) and cook, turning a few times, until done, 30-35 minutes (or until desired degree of doneness).

Beginning to Grill

Grilled Tenderloin

1. Meanwhile, gently warm the reserved marinade over low heat.

Sliced Tenderloin

Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Cut into 12 slices and plate, drizzling with sauce. Serve with a side of rice, if desired.

Grilled Korean Pork Tenderloin

Gochujang-Pork Lettuce Wraps

The Korean red pepper paste called gochujang adds spicy, savory, pleasantly pungent flavor to sauces and marinades for meats, stir-fries, barbecue—wherever you want that touch of umami that says mmmmm. Its base ingredients are ground rice and soybeans, along with varieties of red pepper. Find it in any general Asian market or supermarkets with good international aisles.

Here, I used it to spruce up—really spruce up—simple ground pork lettuce wraps. Very quick, very easy, and very good.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 Thai chiles, finely chopped
• 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 8 large lettuce leaves, such as green leaf or Boston
• thinly sliced radishes and chopped cucumber, for serving

Prepared Ingredients

Preparation

1. Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl, stirring until well blended. Set aside.

Gochujang Sauce

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the pork, chiles, ginger, onion, and garlic and cook until the onion has softened and the pork is cooked through with most of the liquid absorbed, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the gochujang mixture and cook until well combined and the sauce begins to thicken, 5-6 minutes.

Beginning to Cook

Cooked Pork Mixture

Sauce Stirred In

Transfer the pork filling to a bowl and serve with lettuce leaves, and radishes and cucumber for topping.

Gochujang Pork Lettuce Wraps