This poor post. Sometimes I have too many lined up and one gets lost in the shuffle. And it’s a damn shame when they do, because this one was crazy involved. It’s fun to try dressing up a hot dog as crazy (yet practical) as I can. I was at the Korean market and went a bit crazy. I’ve heard of Gochujang before.. but never heard of Doenjang let alone Ssamjang. Weird stuff happens when you dig deep.
The Prep Table
So obviously the hot dog was going to be a hot dog. But it was dressing it up that was going to be special. First, bulgogi. Korean BBQ beef. I’m all about it. I remember going to a Korean restaurant years ago, and my old co-worker got the bulgogi and it was a banger. Let’s see what I can do with it.
We’re going to marinade this with some pear (bought the most expensive, weirdest pear I could find at the Korean market).. We got soy, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.
Let this marinade for only a couple hours. I really can’t remember how long (remember, I said this post got lost? Writing this WAY after I made it). What I do remember though, this thing was flavorful and the smell was incredible.
Korean BBQ Dipping Sauce. Sure – it hits all the keywords, but was it going to be good? We’re mixing up soybean paste, chili paste, honey, garlic, onion. Sounds a bit weird, but I’m going to run with it. While searching for the doenjang – the soybean paste – I found so many pre-made ssamjang. I almost threw in the towel. But I thought it’d be a good idea for my baseline to be homemade and if good – see how the store bought lines up. Mix that up, refrigerate to combine and then we’re out to the Blackstone
The Process
Can’t say bok choy or baby bok choy around the ForensicBBQ household without my wife wondering if I have to absolutely say them both – regardless of size. Poor lady at the farmer’s market last weekend said bok choy, and my wife right away, “Don’t”. The cutting board is complete, time to head out to the blackstone.
This was so rich. That fatty meat just melted away upon bite. Being super thin sliced, it was going to be have to cooked in batches. I was blown away by how good this was. The meat, the marinade.. I could’ve just stopped here and called it a post. But we continue.
Meat is cooked, bok choy is cooked. Let’s round out our official Korean Bulgogi Hot Dog
The Result
Try to tell me that doesn’t look damn delicious.
How was ssamjang? Uniquely good. Won’t use it a whole lot, but it was just good enough that it didn’t take away from the beef or the hot dog too much at all. This was an intense flavor bomb. I needed the bok choy (baby bok choy) in between bites as almost a palate cleanser to reset the tastebuds. That korean beef was spectacular. Highly recommend!