Damyang Lid-Pot Spicy Braised Chicken, 20 Years of Wood Fire

Every morning, he personally chops about 1 ton of oak firewood, still utilizing the firewood-chopping skills he learned as a child.

He remarked on his firewood-chopping prowess, saying, “I’ve been chopping firewood incredibly well since I was in elementary school.”

Even at temperatures that would melt ordinary steel, the cast-iron pot lid evenly distributes heat to the dakbokkeumtang, creating a deep flavor.

Cooked over hot wood fire for more than 40 minutes, even the broth is infused with a rich smoky flavor.

He explores the possibilities of fire-flavored cooking by demonstrating various dishes on the pot lid, such as pancakes, spicy stews, and grilled meats.

He is dedicated to his research, even building a dedicated furnace for grilling whole pigs.

He explained, “This is a place where I've made all sorts of dishes on the pot lid—pancakes, spicy stews, grilled meat—you name it, I've tried it all here.”

Near the Fire Flavor Research Institute, Kim Chun-gu personally catches freshwater catfish from the nearby reservoir.

The caught catfish are transformed into a deeply flavorful spicy stew, cooked with a secret gochujang sauce aged with green onions.

He shared his seasoning secret, saying, “This is gochujang sauce aged with green onions. We just make it with the sauce we’ve prepared.”

Seungdae said, “This is aged straw, aged for about 3 years. We store it in a greenhouse for about 3 to 5 years to completely remove moisture, then bring it here and use it for cooking.”

The straw-fire grilled meat is cooked in just 40 seconds at temperatures approaching 1,000 degrees Celsius.

This method quickly locks in the meat's juices, and the straw aroma effectively removes the unique gamey smell of pork.

Seungdae emphasized, “40 seconds is enough to cook the meat. The instantaneous temperature of nearly 1,000 degrees locks in the juices, preventing them from escaping, and the straw aroma removes all gamey smells from the meat.”

Straw-fire grilling originated from when people living by tidal flats would grill mullets they caught with straw when firewood was scarce.

This 70-year-old tradition of straw-fire grilled pork belly is accompanied by Chilgejang, a paste made by grinding small mud crabs, a delicacy enjoyed by coastal residents.

Chilgejang is used as a special sauce that boasts the best pairing with straw-fire grilled pork belly.

He is receiving initial taste evaluations from his family, confirming a barbecue-like flavor.