Doenjang-gui — Fermented Paste-Grilled Vegetables and Meat (된장구이)

Ingredients

• For the doenjang marinade
• 4 tbsp doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste, 된장), good-quality, traditionally fermented
• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp maesil-cheong (plum syrup) or honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• To grill
• 300 g pork belly strips or beef slices, cut to even thickness
• 2 medium courgette, cut into thick rounds or diagonal slices
• 150 g thick mushrooms (shiitake or king oyster), wiped clean, stems trimmed
• 100 g crown daisy (ssukgat), stems only, or compact bunches

Method

1. 1
   Combine the doenjang, sesame oil, maesil-cheong or honey, and minced garlic in a bowl, working them together until the paste is fully incorporated into the oil. The consistency must be loose and spreadable — not stiff — so that the marinade lays as a thin, even film on the food rather than clumping and scorching in patches; a finger drawn through the mixture should leave a clean channel that closes slowly. If the paste resists spreading, add a few drops more sesame oil until it yields.
2. 2
   Apply the diluted paste to the meat, courgette, mushrooms, and crown daisy in a thin, even coat using a brush or the back of a spoon, because a heavy build-up will burn on the outside before the interior has had time to cook through. The goal is a translucent flavour layer visible on the surface, not a packed rub — the food beneath should still be discernible through the coating.
3. 3
   Heat a grill pan or tabletop grill to medium-high, then lay the coated pieces flat without crowding so that each surface sits directly against the heat and colours evenly rather than steaming against a neighbour. Turn frequently — every 60 to 90 seconds — so that caramelisation builds gradually and uniformly across the surface. The smell will shift from raw ferment to a toasted, nutty, savoury note as the marinade sets; follow your nose as much as the clock.
4. 4
   Continue grilling until the surface is uniformly caramelised to a deep amber and the very edges have taken a narrow line of char, because that edge char — concentrated and intensely umami — is the signature of the technique, but a moment beyond it and the paste tips from bitter-savoury into acrid. The food is done when the crust releases cleanly from the grill surface with no tearing.
5. 5
   Remove from heat and serve immediately over or alongside steamed white rice. The crust softens quickly, so it is at its best in the first two minutes off the heat, when the contrast between the caramelised surface and the cooked interior is sharpest. Taste at the edge — the char should read as deep and bitter-savoury, never acrid or carbonised.