Bulgogi (Korean Beef BBQ)
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound of beef sirloin, sliced thinly into pieces ½ inch x 2 inches and ⅛ inch thick
Marinade (for 1 pound of beef):
½ cup of crushed pear
¼ cup onion purée
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 chopped green onion
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs brown sugar
pinch of ground black pepper
1 tbs toasted sesame oil
several thin slices of carrot
Directions
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the sliced beef and mix well. You can grill, pan-fry, or BBQ right after marinating, but it’s best to keep it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for a tougher cut of beef. Serve with scallion salad, gojuchang, lettuce and fresh rice.
Bibimbap Sauce:
½ cup Gochujang/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil/2 tablespoons honey1 teaspoon rice vinegar/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Spicy Tofu Stew
Serves 2
¼ cup Korean hot pepper flakes
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
4 oz pork belly, or boneless pork shoulder, chopped into small pieces
6 peeled garlic cloves, minced
½ cup kimchi
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp kosher salt
22 oz of soft tofu (sundubu)
2 large eggs
2 scallions chopped
Mix the hot pepper flakes and the vegetable oil in a small bowl
Heat a medium heavy pot, or Dutch oven, over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sesame oil, pork and garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the pork is no longer pink and the garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
Add the kimchi and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent. Add 2 Tbs of the hot pepper flake mixture and mix well. Add the stock and salt and turn the heat down to medium, and cook until bubbling, about 10-15 minutes.
Place the tofu into the boiling stew. Use a wooden spoon to break the tofu into smaller pieces, then heat until the stew bubbles, a few more minutes.
Drizzle the remaining hot pepper flake mixture over the stew. Crack the eggs into the stew, giving them enough space so they don’t touch. Add the scallions and cook until the egg whites are set but the yokes are still a bit runny. Serve immediately over rice (if desired).
Pajeori (Scallion Salad)
1 large bunch scallions, white and green parts only, cut into 4-inch lengths
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon gochugaru
Large pinch of coarse salt
Slice the scallions lengthwise into fine strips. Submerge the strips in a bowl of ice water until curled, about 1 hour. Just before serving, drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the scallions to a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients.
Kimchi Pancake
In a bowl, place 1 cup of chopped kimchi, 3 tbs of kimchi juice, 2 tbs chopped onion, ½ ts salt, ½ ts sugar, ½ cup flour (all purpose flour), and ¼ cup of water and mix it well with a spoon. Heat up a 12 inch non-stick pan over medium high heat and drizzle about 2 tbs grape seed oil. Place the mixture of kimchi pancake batter on the pan and spread it thinly and evenly with a spoon. Cook it for 1 to 1½ minutes until the bottom gets golden brown and crispy. Turn it over with a spatula or flip it. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 1½ minutes. Turn it over one more time and cook for 30 seconds before transferring it to a serving plate.
