Ingredients

  • 8-10 chicken thighs, skin on bone in (about 4 pounds), allow one thigh per taco
  • 1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1/4 cup gochujang (red pepper paste)*
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean pepper powder)**
  • 1/2 cup orange marmalade
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • Splash dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as Three Crab)
  • 6 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 8-10 medium flour tortillas
  • About 6 ounces cotija cheese crumbled
  • About 8 ounces best quality kimchi (use that Hawaiian crap only as a last resort)
  • KimTM hot sauce or other good hot sauce. KimTM is heavy on the pepper paste as opposed to the vinegar.

Method

  • In a large bowl combine the pepper paste, powdered red pepper, sesame oil, marmalade, soy sauce, wine, garlic and fish sauce. Whisk this together. Because of the gochujang this mixture will be very gooey and very sticky.
  • Make your brine by dissolving the salt into boiling water. Inject this mixture into the thickest part of the thighs.
  • A few pieces at a time plunge the thighs in the sauce, coating well and transfer to a platter to refrigerate for 6 hours.
  • Start your wood fire, again banking the coals and soaked wood chips to one side. Place the thighs on the outside margin of the hot coals, but not directly over. They won't all fit at once so you will have to do them in batches. Cover. Turn once and once only. If I see you flipping these guys I'm going to smack you with my spatula and it will leave a mark.
  • The thighs are done when the fleshiest part reads 160F on an instant read thermometer
  • On the following day, using a sharp knife and a fork remove as much meat as you can from each thigh. Cut or shred the meat into small pieces. Warm in the oven or in a microwave.
  • Arrange your tortillas in such a way that's easy to scoop in the fillings (see photo). Add the thigh meat and a squirt of hot sauce if desired. Follow that with the cotija cheese and finally the kimchi. You might want to run these through the microwave again, but for no more than 30 seconds.
  • *I'm sorry but I've not yet been able to find a substitute for the gochujang. It is very sticky and perfect for this chicken preparation.
  • **For gochugaru you are safe substituting a Spanish pimenton, maybe ahumado (smoked)