Cook: Ssämjang Sauce
This is a great beginner sauce if you’re new to Korean food. This spicy red sauce is delicious on eggs and is also a recommended sauce for eating bo ssäm (Korean pork). Below is a simple recipe on how to make it and an explanation of the ingredients used.
The photo to the right is a picture of a typical breakfast in our house. I was inspired by David Chang’s quarantine posts and recreated his easy egg and rice dish. Typically, we’ll eat eggs and rice with spam but the addition of this ssämjang sauce really makes it complete.
I love sauces and this one has easily become one of my favorites. It’s especially great with grilled meats or used as a marinade. You can also serve it with some cold soba noodles, kimchi, green onions, and spam for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp ssämjang (fermented bean and chile paste) or doenjang paste (fermented bean paste without the chile)
1 tbsp gochujang (chile paste)
1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup neutral oil
Tiny splash of sesame oil
3-4 cloves minced garlic
Scallions (sliced, optional
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
Ssamjang/Doenjang paste: You should be able to find this in an Asian market. Ssamjang paste is like a pre-made version with some spiciness already built in. Doenjang paste is just fermented bean paste. If you want to use miso paste, that’d work well too.
Gochujang: This is another red chile paste commonly used in Korean cooking. Try different versions of it to see which ones you like. Below is a photo of one you’ll find at most Asian grocery stores. Some mainstream markets will also have it. It has a kick so use more if you like things spicier.
Now what do I do with this sauce?
Use it for bo ssäm - recipe here.
Make a bowl of white rice, topped with a fried egg, slices of avocado, seaweed strips and pour some of this over it.
Eat it as a dipping sauce for KBBQ.
Use it as a marinade for beef, pork, or chicken.