I originally had this dish while stationed in Korea. It was served as a “drinking” dish in some of the Soju tents found on the streets of many Korean cities.  This became one of the more popular specials served at my former Korean Restaurant.

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless chicken thigh (4 to 6 thighs)
salt
pepper

Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water or unsalted chicken broth
1/2 cup medium or fine ground red chili pepper
1 cup sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, or honey
2 fresh red chili or jalapeño peppers
1 small Asian pear*
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small white or yellow onion
1 inch ginger root, peeled
1 tablespoon pure sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Korean rice cooking wine, rice vinegar, or mirin
(* may substitute 1/2 kiwi or 1 semi-sweet apple)

Preparation

Chicken
Trim off any excess fat
Very lightly salt and pepper both sides of each thigh and let stand ten minutes.

Marinade
Slice onion, pear, peppers, and ginger root into small sections and place with garlic into blender, add water as needed and blend into a smooth paste.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Add a small amount of water as needed to maintain a thick smooth paste.
Stir well and refrigerate until use.

Mix
Place chicken in a mixing bowl, cover with marinade, and mix well.
Cover and place in refrigerator and let stand 4 to 8 hours.
Unused marinade may be refrigerated for future use

Cooking

Place chicken on hot grill over high heat.
Cook each side until the marinade darkens and a light char appears (two to five minutes per side).

Cut chicken into short strips and transfer to a wok or stir fry pan. Add one or two tablespoons of the marinade. Stir-fry for about 3 to 5 minutes until marinade thickens and adheres to meat.

Serve hot with rice and Ban Chan.