Spicy Korean chicken skewers (dak-kkochi: 닭꼬치)

Step 1

Combine the chicken, soy sauce, ground black pepper, garlic, and green onion in a bowl. Mix it well by hand. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Step 2

Combine gochujang, rice syrup, gochu-garu, vinegar, vegetable oil, and water in a bowl. Mix well with a spoon until smooth, thin, and shiny. Set aside.

Step 3

Thread 4 to 5 chicken pieces on the skewers. If you use daepa (large green onion), skewer 1 or 2 pieces between the chicken pieces on each skewer. If you use rice cake, put it on its own skewer because the cooking time may be longer than the chicken, depending on the thickness of the rice cake.

Step 4

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the chicken skewers on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes uncovered. Move the skewers occasionally with your tongs so that they are cooked evenly. Flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes, rotating the skewers with tongs to cook evenly and being careful not to burn them. When both sides of the chicken and the rice cakes are well cooked, brush the red sauce over the skewers and cook for 1 minute. Flip them over again and add a generous amount of the red sauce over the skewers. Grill another minute and remove from the heat. Serve right away.