Source: Jeff Thompson's Open Recipes
Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, dark brown sugar, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a small heavy-bottomed pot. The gochujang is a fermented condiment and will clump if it hits heat dry, so stir the mixture thoroughly until the paste breaks down and distributes evenly through the liquid. This isn't just mixing — you're ensuring the gochujang dissolves rather than seizing into pellets when the temperature rises.
Set the pot over moderate heat and bring to a gentle simmer. The cornstarch and sesame-oil go in once you see the first bubbles breaking the surface — not before. Stir constantly for 90 seconds to two minutes. This brief cooking window does two things: the cornstarch gelatinises, thickening the sauce and giving it body, whilst the heat volatilises some of the sesame oil's raw vegetal notes, deepening its nuttiness. You'll notice the sauce darken slightly and thicken perceptibly. Remove from heat immediately. Over-cooking breaks down the gochujang's fermented complexity, leaving you with a one-dimensional burn flavour.
Whisk in the toasted sesame-oil off the heat. This preserves the aromatics — heating sesame oil past a gentle warm-through flattens it. The sauce should coat a spoon; if it's thicker than that, add water in half-teaspoon increments and stir to combine. A thin drizzle of water loosens it without diluting the flavour profile. Let it cool to room temperature before using — the sauce will thicken slightly as it cools, so account for that when adjusting consistency.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. The fermented base and acid preserve it well, but the sesame oil will oxidise over time, so use it sooner rather than later. For service, loosen with a touch of water if it's set too firmly, and taste — if the garlic and ginger have faded, you've waited too long.
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