Spice Up Meatloaf Night With A Korean-Inspired Glaze

A simple meatloaf is a weeknight dinner classic, a quick and tasty comfort food meal, and one of the under-the-radar dishes that define American cuisine. Everyone has their own go-to recipe, but why not shake it up with something new? Give your meatloaf a Korean-inspired twist by swapping out its customary ketchup topping (or its smoky cousin, barbecue sauce) for a spicy gochujang glaze.

Gochujang is a fermented red pepper paste made from Korean red chili pepper flakes, glutinous (or "sticky") rice, fermented soybeans, and salt, creating spicy, sweet, umami, and salty flavors. The soybeans provide the savory umami notes while sweetness comes from the rice's starch turning into sugar as it ferments (as well as added sugar or tapioca syrup).

The popular Korean staple is sometimes called the "ketchup of Korea," but despite that nickname, the paste's flavor is far too concentrated to use directly on food like ketchup or hot sauce. Instead, small amounts are typically added to stews, sauces, and marinades to elevate their flavor. Gochujang's intensity can be tempered by mixing it with other components to create glazes and dipping sauces.

A gochujang coating on meatloaf strikes a similar balance as ketchup's sweet, vinegary flavor playing off the robust meatiness, but with a more complex depth of flavor and a punch of heat. Experiment by combining different ingredients with the paste to make it, seeing which works best with the add-ins and seasonings in your meatloaf. Common ones include: sesame oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup, honey, sugar, garlic, or soy sauce. You could even mix ketchup with the gochujang for an old-meets-new combo.

Gochujang paste is sold in several heat levels ranging from mild to extremely hot, so you can choose how much spice you want. You may have to shop around or compromise on the heat since not all retailers that sell gochujang carry them all. Layer more of its flavor in the meatloaf by incorporating some of it in the meat mixture too. You can just blend it in, or try cooking down aromatics and vegetables like garlic, onion, pepper, carrot, or celery in oil spiked with gochujang paste to infuse its taste more deeply. 

A blend of ground beef and pork is good for Korean-influenced meatloaf. The pork has more moisture than beef and adds a little bit of sweetness. You could also use ground turkey; however, its milder flavor could be more dominated by the gochujang, instead of balancing it like the stronger beef and pork. 

Give your meatloaf even more of a Korean makeover with other elements of this cuisine. Include umami-rich garlic, zesty ginger, or savory Korean fish sauce in the ground meat, or go more outside the box and add chopped kimchi. The traditional fermented cabbage provides both moisture and a spicy-sour taste in a kimchi-beef pairing that also works with steak. Finish the dish off with a garnish of sprinkled sesame seeds or green onions, and accompany it with a side dish like Korean seasoned spinach, spicy cucumber salad, or kimchi.