Korean Chicken Wings and Pork Patties

Dr. Sweetpea was telling me that when he played football in high school, him and his teammates ate a ton of Korean Chicken Wings from a local grocery store. He hasn't eaten any in over a decade, but he still remembers the distinct taste and how much he loved those wings. So I asked my mom for her recipe so I could make the wings at home for Dr. Sweetpea. To be honest, Dr. Sweetpea was a little skeptical when I bought all the ingredients, but it only took one bite for him to be absolutely blown away! The sweet, salty, spicy flavor and crunchy texture was exactly what he remembered. He told me to never forget how to make these wings!

Korean Chicken Wings

(Source: My mom)

For the wings: 

2 1/2 - 3 pounds chicken wings

Ground Black Pepper

Ground Ginger powder

Salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Mirin (sweet rice wine)

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 - 4 heaping rounded tablespoons of corn starch

4 heaping rounded tablespoons of Korean Frying Mix

Place the wings in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle some black pepper, ground ginger powder, and salt over the wings and use your hands to mix everything together. Then add minced garlic, Mirin, soy sauce, and use your hands to mix everything together. Sprinkle the corn starch and Korean Frying Mix over the chicken wings and use your hands to coat the wings with the dry ingredients. Make sure the wings are thoroughly coated with the dry ingredients. Set the wing mixture in the fridge until ready to fry. 

For the Sauce: 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons corn syrup

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons gochugaro (Korean red chili pepper powder)

Freshly ground black pepper

Sesame seeds

In a medium sized saucepan, saute the onion in about a tablespoon of vegetable oil until it's slightly translucent. Add the minced garlic and continue to saute for another minute. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the onion mixture. Cook until the sauce is starting to bubble. Remove from heat and set aside. The sauce will thicken up as it cools down. 

To cook the wings:

Heat vegetable oil in a fryer until it's 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Working in batches, add a few chicken wings into the hot oil and fry until it's golden brown, about 10 - 12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken wings from the hot oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Once all the chicken wings are fried, toss them with the sauce mixture until all the wings are coated. Place on a platter and serve!