Roughly translating into “deliciousness,” the Japanese flavor sensory term umami is precisely that—delicious. More subtle than its siblings sweet, sour, salty and bitter, the hard-to-peg but undeniably present savory flavor of umami is the mouthwatering taste people find in foods like miso and Parmesan cheese. Because savory and sweet flavors complement each other well, when umami is paired with a sweet counterpart, the flavor can taste more robust, making it a true delight for the tastebuds.
With the savory flavor of soy sauce and the sweet taste of brown sugar, honey and hard cider, this marinade is a well balanced glaze for slathering on barbecued chicken or other meats like steak and even pork. Make this marinade ahead of time and let your meat bathe in its flavor for at least two hours, or longer. Then chuck them on the barbie, or, if you prefer instant pot chicken thighs go right ahead with that. For this recipe, I used The BX Press’ The Bandit cider with cherries from Vernon, British Columbia. Adding real cherries to the cider just before bottling, The Bandit offers flavor of crisp apple and sweet, subtle cherry—a perfect complement for this flavorful glaze.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 2 hours (or more)
Cook time: 12 minutes
Makes: 8 chicken thighs
Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
1 cup The BX Press’ The Bandit
½ cup olive oil
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground pepper
pinch of salt to taste
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together cider, olive oil, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, mustard powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
In a large plastic bag, combine half the marinade with chicken. Allow chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours in refrigerator. Cover reserved marinade and place in fridge.
Once chicken has finished marinating, heat propane grill to medium high heat. Once grill has heated, cook chicken for 6 minutes on each side. Let rest for two minutes, top with fresh cilantro (optional) and enjoy.
