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Grilled Chon-Hae Korean Steak with Spicy Sauce

Grilled Chon-Hae Korean Steak with Spicy Sauce

The umami of sesame oil combined with soy and chili in this recipe is quite the flavor explosion. This recipe involves marinating your steaks for at least a few hours and then finishing with a fresh herb sauce that will blow your mind. I first used this recipe when competing in a live cooking contest at the Edmonton Home Show on the food stage. I was victorious in the contest and have loved this recipe ever since.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Beef, Korean
Keyword: Different, Savoury
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 6 people
Author: Russell Bird

Ingredients

Marinade

  • ¼ cup Red Wine
  • cup Soy Sauce
  • 2 tbsp White Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper

Sauce Topping

  • cup Cilantro
  • cup Canola Oil
  • 1 tsp Lime Juice
  • 4 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • ½ tsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 tsp Diced Serrano Pepper
  • 1 each Jalapeno, diced

The Steak

Instructions

Prepare the Marinade

  • Combine the Red Wine, Soy Sauce, Sugar, Garlic, Sesame oil and Cayenne in a bowl and mix until well combined. Take the steaks out of any packaging and pat dry. I like to take each steak and start poking holes in it with a fork. You basically want to poke as many holes as you can. I usually run the fork all over the steak poking it over and over every ¼ inch and then I turn the fork 90 degrees and do it again. Once the steak is good and tenderized with hundreds of little holes, place it into a Ziploc bag or marinating container and pour the marinade over the steaks. Massage the marinade into the meat for 2 minutes. Now let the steaks rest in the fridge over night or a minimum of 2 hours.

Grilling the Steaks

  • When you are ready to cook the steaks, Preheat your smoker to 400 degrees or higher. Take the steaks out of the fridge and remove them from the marinade. Pat the steaks dry and sprinkle with a light coating of Boars Night out White Lightning. Throw the steaks onto the grill and let them cook, flipping occasionally (every 2 minutes or so) until you reach an internal temperature of 135 degrees.

Resting your steaks and making the sauce

  • Take the steaks off the smoker and let rest for 5 minutes wrapped in tinfoil. While the steaks are resting you can prepare the sauce. Roll the cilantro into a little ball, including the stems and dice it fine. Throw the cilantro into a small bowl with all the other ingredients. Mix until well combined and then taste it to see if it needs more salt or refining of any of the ingredients.

Slice the steaks and drizzle with the sauce

  • Slice the steaks into ½ inch thick slices and place on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the top of the steaks and serve immediately.

Step by Step

  • Prepare Your marinade by mixing all the ingredients
  • Using a fork, tenderize the steak by poking hundreds of holes all over
  • Marinade the steaks in a plastic bag overnight or 2 hours minimum
  • Remove the steaks from the marinade, pat dry and season with White Lightning
  • Grill the steaks, flipping every 2 minutes until you reach 135F internal temperature
  • Rest the steaks for 5 minutes
  • Make the sauce by dicing the cilantro and adding the other ingredients and stir
  • Slice the steaks and pour the sauce over
  • Enjoy!

Notes

What if you do not like spice?

This recipe can be super versatile and adaptable. If you are not a big spice fa, you can sub out the serrano and jalapeno peppers for items like chili flakes, bell peppers or sweet peppers. Another great trick is to remove the seeds from the peppers or soak them in water before adding them to the sauce, that will help to remove some of the heat.
 

Can I use a different cut of steak?

Yes, this recipe can be used on just about any cut of steak. I like striploin the most, but if you are using Tenderloin, Ribeye, Sirloin, Skirt Steak, Flat Iron Steak, T-bone, Flank Steak or tri tip, this recipe would be amazing on any of them. To be honest, I one time made this as a sauce for a stir fry and it was equally delicious.
 

What if I am Gluten Free?

This recipe can be made entirely gluten free. The only ingredient that may contain gluten should be the Soy Sauce. You can easily sub regular soy sauce with gluten free soy sauce or gluten free shoyu.
 

Cilantro tastes like dish soap.

Some people HATE cilantro, so if you have someone coming to dinner that hates cilantro, then we recommend serving the sauce on the side or making them their own special sauce using the same ingredients but leaving the cilantro out. Do not blame your guests, when cilantro tastes like soap to some people its because of a genetic issue in their olfactory receptors.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!