Chef critique
Gochujang-Grilled Chicken with Charred Napa Slaw
This is a flavorful, well-structured recipe with excellent seasoning math, but applying the sugary glaze before the direct high-heat sear will cause the chicken to burn.
Score: 8/10
Suggested fixes
- Grill the dry-brined chicken thighs bare over direct heat to crisp the skin and render the fat, then brush on the first half of the glaze when moving the chicken to indirect heat. Use the clean reserved glaze for the final 3 minutes as written.
Issues
- high / cookability: Applying a glaze containing honey and gochujang before searing the chicken skin-side down over direct 425°F heat will cause the sugars to burn rapidly, resulting in blackened, bitter skin.
Strengths
- Excellent salt management, precisely reducing the dry brine to compensate for the salty soy and gochujang glaze.
- Smart division of the glaze into two bowls to prevent cross-contamination while basting.
- Correct target temperature (175°F) for chicken thighs to achieve the best texture.