All-purpose Korean Marinade
User Reviews
4.5
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
40 mins
-
Servings
40
-
Course
Others
All-purpose Korean Marinade
Description
The All-purpose Korean Marinade recipe starts by boiling water with soy sauce, sugar, corn syrup, and aromatics including roughly chopped onion, apple, scallions, cracked garlic cloves, sliced ginger, dried shiitake mushrooms, peppercorns, and dried kelp. The mixture is simmered to integrate and concentrate the flavors, then strained to remove solids.
After cooling, rice wine and lemon slices are added for brightness. This marinade serves as a foundation for classic Korean dishes: using one cup with sesame oil and extra minced garlic and grated Korean pear for galbi or bulgogi, with recommended marination times to optimize flavor infusion. Spicy pork uses half a cup combined with sesame oil and other seasonings.
Adjust sweetness by varying sugar or corn syrup amounts. Alternative sweeteners include honey, grated pear, or Korean plum extract. Adding sesame oil when marinating enhances richness. A candle nearby can mitigate strong boiled soy sauce aroma during preparation.
Ingredients
Yields about 10 cups
- 6 cups of water
- 4 cups soy sauce
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup or use 2/3 cup honey or 1 more cup sugar, or Korean Oligodang
- 1 onion large, roughly cut into small pieces
- 1 apple large, roughly cut into small pieces
- 2 scallions cut into shorter pieces
- 12 to 14 garlic plump cloves, roughly cracked open (use a side of the knife
- 2 inch long ginger about 1 inch diameter, thinly sliced
- 3 or 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 5 inch dried kelp also known as dashima 다시마, square shape
- 1 cup rice wine Dry white wine is also good, or mirin
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients (except the dashima, rice wine, and lemon) to a large pot with 6 cups of water. Bring it to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and then reduce the heat to achieve a medium boil (between medium high and medium on my stove). Boil for 30 minutes.
- Add the dashima and continue to boil for 10 more minutes.
- Remove all the solids with a strainer.
- Add the rice wine and lemon slices, and let it cool. Store in a jar(s) in the fridge.
How to use the marinade
Galbi (beef short ribs) or bulgogi
- For 2 pounds of beef short ribs or bulgogi meat, use 1 cup of the marinade and add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. You can also add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, grated 1/4 Korean pear and a handful of scallion and onion slices if you like. For galbi, you need to marinate for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight for best results. Marinate bulgogi for 30 minutes to an hour, up to overnight.
Spicy pork
- For 2 pounds of pork, use 1/2 cup of the marinade, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes), and 3 tablespoons of gochujang (red chili pepper paste). If using more gochujang, use less marinade. You can add 1 or 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and a handful of scallion and onion slices.
Notes
- Adjust sweetness or saltiness by adding more sugar or soy sauce based on the intended dish.
- Include sesame oil when using the marinade on meats for extra flavor and aroma.
- Alternative sweeteners such as grated pear, honey, or Korean plum extract can be used instead of corn syrup.
- To mitigate the strong smell of boiling soy sauce, keep a candle burning nearby while cooking.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
You'll Also Love
