Grilled Korean Fire Chicken With Cheese (Buldak With Cheese)

Step 1

Whisk the gochujang, chili powder, sesame oil, chicken stock, and soy sauce together in a bowl.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger in the hot oil until very fragrant, about half a minute.

Step 3

Add the minced chilies and black pepper. Sautee another half minute until those ingredients also become fragrant. (You might want to run a vent for this part—the air can get a little spicy.)

Step 4

Add the gochujang mixture as well as the Sprite. Stir to combine and to scrape up any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 5

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook to reduce by about half. You should end up with a sauce that can easily coat the back of a spoon, and that should be about 1 1/2 cups of liquid.

Step 6

Meanwhile, debone the thighs by making an incision along the bone, then sliding the knife under the bone. Cut the ends of the bones free from the meat. Don’t worry about getting the bones super clean and meat-free, they will be grilled up, too.

Step 7

Once the sauce is reduced, cool it to room temp.

Step 8

Place the chicken and bones in a gallon zip-top bag. Pour half of the sauce, about 3/4 C, into the bag with the chicken.

Step 9

Mix the sauce and chicken until everything is well coated.

Step 10

Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes or up to overnight. Cover the remaining sauce and refrigerate, as well.

Step 11

When ready to cook, light one chimney full of charcoal. When it is well lit, pour it into your grill, heaping it somewhat so that one half of the grill is hotter than the other half.

Step 12

Preheat the broiler in your oven.

Step 13

Place the chicken, skin side down, on the hotter half of the grill. Place the bones on the cooler side of the grill.

Step 14

Cook until well charred on the first side. Flip over and continue to cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temps frequently with your Thermapen ONE.Also, be turning the bones every so often to give them nice char and to cook them fully.

Step 15

Once the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C), use kitchen shears to cut each thigh into pieces that are too big to fall through your grill grate but small enough to eat comfortably in one bite. Cut them right back onto the grill.

Step 16

Use a silicone brush to baste the chicken and bones with the remaining sauce.

Step 17

Cook a couple more minutes, checking temps with your Thermapen ONE. When the pieces reach 175°F (79°C), remove them to a cast iron pan. Put the bones in the pan, too. If there is any sauce left in the container, pour it over the chicken now.

Step 18

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the chicken evenly and broil it for about 3–5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Keep a close eye on it while broiling!

Step 19

Top with sesame seeds and scallions.

Step 20

Serve! People can use forks, but I enjoyed just going at this with my fingers.