Korean Friends Please help with Hot Pepper Paste

[Veggietales]

I'm a Korean BBQ freak. I like the non marinated meats like rib eye, brisket, and black pork belly.

At the several locations that I frequent serve the meat with a hot pepper paste and a salt & pepper oil to dip the meat in prior to wrapping it all up in the handy duk bo ssam package to stuff in your face hole. The pepper paste is a slow heat that is piquant, with the S/P oil rounding it all out... I could slather my body in the hot pepper paste; after some research online I thought I had cracked the case and went out on the search for ssamjang.

Brought my ssamjang home with an array of pre sliced meats from my local Korean market, totally excited to recreate my restaurant experience (sans the curt, ambivalent service). I find out the ssamjang is sweet, barely hot. I was super disappointed.

So my question is what I'm describing above called Gochujang? Should I go out and get Gochujang and try it all over again or should I just go to my favorite Korean BBQ Restaurant and forget trying to satisfying my craving at home? Can you recommend some brands of this hot pepper paste that I want to have soooo bad so I can put it on everything else I eat?

[Virginia Girl]

I lived in Korea for 3 years and am a big fan of Korean cuisine. Koch'ujang is the right condiment. Most Korean brands are excellent, but omit the ones with MSG. If you want to make it hotter, buy some Koch'u Karu, which is hot red pepper powder and add it until you get the heat you like. Best Korean cookbook: Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen, by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall. Absolute necessity if you want to learn about Korean cooking!

[bitsubeats]

oh and how about trying to just dip your meat in daengjang? That's how my family traditionally eats it (mostly with samgyupsal). If you want heat, then add some sliced jalapenos to your ssam.

[Veggietales]

i know I don't like daengjang, though the rest of my family does.

I don't want anything sweet. All the store bought pepper pastes have malt syrup, rice syrup, jujubee, pear juice, kiwi, corn syrup... I'm looking for something that is straight hot/spicy, maybe with a bit of sour.

Hannaone, I'm going to try your recipe for gochujang.

[teenytinytina]

Have you ever tried Vietnamese Sriracha sauce, aka Rooster sauce? I love it with my Korean food because I don't like a lot of the sweeter sauces.

[hannaone]

Ssamjang is the traditional sauce, but there are quite a few variations on this sauce - some sweeter, some hotter.

The Ssamjang in this post is a good starter:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5483...

Start off with a smaller batch and play with the amounts until it tastes right for you.

The oil dip is traditionally sesame oil with S&P added to taste.

[bitsubeats]

maybe it was chogochujang? I have never had it with korean meat, but maybe that's what you are describing? Chogochujang is traditionally served with hwe or sashimi. It's just gochujang with vinegar and sugar added.

here's a recipe you can try http://korean-cuisine.blogspot.com/20...