Spice up Your Meatballs With Korean Gochujang Sauce

Gochujang is salty, spicy and slightly sweet. Diane Rossen Worthington/TNS

Sometimes I need to shake things up in the kitchen. Meatballs with tomato sauce and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese is a favorite of mine. Recently, I decided to improvise on that recipe and add spicy-sweet gochujang to the basic meatball mixture along with shredded carrots for juiciness and sesame oil and ginger—a wonderful medley of Asian ingredients.

Gochujang is salty, spicy, and slightly sweet. It is a fermented red pepper paste from Korea with additional ingredients that add to its umami flavor, including fermented soybean powder and a sweetener like barley malt and fermented sweet rice.

Panko crumbs deliver a crisp bread texture that will stay intact as the meatballs bake.

In this recipe, I’ve prepared these meatballs in different sizes. My recommendation is to use a small ice cream scoop so the meatballs have about a 2-inch diameter. That may sound large, but they shrink during baking. Also, if they are too small, they can burn on the bottom.

While the meatballs are baking, put together the Seriously Simple sauce. The sweet apricot or orange jam complements the savory flavors.

These meatballs can be served on their own or on a bed of steamed vegetables, rice, or cooked Korean noodles. Serve a chilled Korean beer alongside the dish.

Korean-Inspired Meatballs

Makes about 25 meatballs; serves 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium leek, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely shredded
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup fine dried panko
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the Sauce

• 1/3 cup apricot jam or orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon gochujang or to taste
• 1 cup chicken stock

For Garnish

• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions

In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the leek and sauté them for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they’re soft and translucent. Add the shredded carrot and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Cool.

When cool, transfer the cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients, except the sauce. Blend well, using a large spoon, potato masher, or your hands to mix all the ingredients together. To test for seasoning, heat a small nonstick skillet and cook a teaspoon of the mixture until cooked on both sides. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. With your hands or an ice cream scooper, gently roll the mixture into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter. Place them on a large parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake the meatballs for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients together over medium heat. Whisk the sauce until no lumps remain and it is slightly thickened.

To serve, arrange the meatballs in individual shallow serving bowls and spoon the hot sauce over them. Garnish with green onions and serve.

Advance Preparation: This dish can be prepared one day ahead through Step 3 and refrigerated. Reheat in a 350-degree-F oven for 20 minutes, occasionally basting with sauce.

Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to [email protected].