Gochujang Brisket (고추장 가슴살)

I'm going to admit that I didn't know the word for "brisket" in Korean, so I used Google Translate... I hope "chest flesh" is right?

Flattered that so many of you want the recipe for this! I was just playing around, so I didn’t write down any exact measurements, but I’ll give you an estimate of what went into it:

INGREDIENTS

For a 3-4 lb. brisket

-1/3 cup of gochujang

-1 tablespoon of brown sugar

-1-2 tablespoons of gochugaru (red pepper flakes)

-1 tablespoon minced garlic

-¼ cup of mirin

-⅓ cup of white vinegar

-1/2 cup apple cider (I would have pureed some apples, but the cider needed to go)

-¼ head of old kimchi (maybe 2.5 cups if you dice it?)

-2-3 tablespoons of sesame oil

-2 cups of kimchi juice (the liquid leftover from a jar of kimchi - Even when Kimchi is gone, I save this juice to add to recipes. My fridge if full of useful fermented sauces that don’t really go bad)

I also added a tablespoon or two of coarse salt - When I tasted the brine, I didn’t think it was salty enough to get the flavor into the meat. Adding salt runs the risk of making it too salty, so I don't know that it's totally necessary... Again, not a professional.

STEPS

1) Mix all of the brine/marinade ingredients together and taste it - it should be a little bit sweet with some heat, but you should also get the warmness of the sesame oil.

2) I added the brisket and the brine together in a large bag for 24 hours, then emptied the contents into my Dutch oven and braised for about 3.5 hours on 250, until the internal temp reached 190.

3) You could eat it now, but I let it cool to room temp and put it in the fridge to solidify the fat and let the meat soak up more flavor overnight. I reheated at 350 for about an hour the next day.

Notes: As I said in the Insta. post, I would have added some shitake mushrooms to the mix while it cooked to deepen the flavor. I also think adding some onions would have added some extra depth.

I'd also use old kimchi - It's going to have more flavor and acidity, which is in turn going to help your meat.

Hope you try it (and it's good!).