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This is a good
basic beef kalbi recipe. Personally,
I would go heavier on the garlic and
lighter on the soy sauce, but the balance
between sweet and savory in the marinade
holds up very well. Chun’s book
also has some classic pancheon recipes.
2 lbs. beef short ribs, cut into 1 1⁄2
in. lengths
Marinade:
2 tbsp garlic, peeled and pressed
1 tsp grated ginger
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp soft brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp rice wine
11⁄2 tbsp sesame oil
1 large nashi pear, (about 31⁄2
cups) grated
2 spring onions, minced.
If using frozen
ribs, the bones may be dark red in color.
If so place the ribs in cold water and
soak for 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze
the ribs gently to remove excess water.
Combine all the marinade ingredients
together, except the spring onions.
Add the marinade to the beef ribs and
mix well. Then add the spring onions
and toss lightly. Cover and marinate
for at least 4 hours. Heat a grill or
broiler and grill the ribs for four
to six minutes on each side or until
browned and cooked through. Serve with
lettuce, perilla leaves, raw garlic
and chili bean sauce on the side.
I am a big fan
of ojingo gui. When it is not overcooked,
grilled squid is slightly crispy on
the outside and melt in your mouth luscious
on the inside. The marinade here is
fantastic with wonderful sweet and spicy
notes. Hepinstall includes in her cookbook
a rather thorough discussion of Korean
barbecue and a wide variety of recipes.
If you are having your guests grill
at the table, you can forgo the skewers
and chop the squid into bite size morsels
before marinating and grilling.
4 squid, about
10 oz each
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Marinade:
2 tbsp kochu jang (red pepper sauce)
1 tbsp kochu karu (red pepper powder)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp sugar
1 green onion, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp freshly squeezed ginger juice*
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
*grate ginger, then squeeze out
the juice
In a bowl, combine
marinade ingredients and mix well. To
prepare the squid, remove the head and
tentacles. Peel off the purplish-brown
skin from the body and remove the ink
sac. Cut each squid lengthwise so it
opens to a flat piece. Make crisscross
slashes, without cutting through, on
the outer side. Thread each end of a
squid piece through a 7-inch skewer
to prevent curling. Repeat with remaining
squid pieces, making a total of eight
skewers. Combine the skewers with the
sauce and marinate covered in the refrigerator
for 15 minutes. To grill the skewers,
start the coals 30 minutes before cooking;
or, preheat a gas grill. Lightly brush
the grilling rack with vegetable oil
and set it 4 inches from the heat source.
Add the skewers and grill for 2 minutes
per side. On a cutting board, remove
the squid from the skewers and cut into
bite-size pieces.
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Take an evening stroll down
virtually any street in the urban environs of South
Korea and within minutes you will be overwhelmed
by the heavenly aroma of marinated meat searing
on a grill. Nothing gets the primal juices flowing
quite like the smell of Korean barbecue. Whether
the specialty is beef kalbi (short ribs), bulgogi
(literally “roasted meat”), samgyupsal
(pork belly), or any of a variety of grill-worthy
meats and seafood, barbecue restaurants are a ubiquitous
presence in Korea, providing diners with one of
the most uniquely communal culinary experiences
in the world. Diners come together not only to enjoy
a meal but also to actively participate in its preparation.
Grills filled with wood, charcoal or heated stones
sit in the center of the table. Piles of raw meat,
usually beef and pork marinated in a wonderfully
sweet yet spicy sauce, are brought out and diners
grill their own dinner while consuming healthy amounts
of beer and soju, a rice based liquor similar to
vodka. It is a heavenly experience that is just
as much about coming together with friends and family
as it is about enjoying amazingly delicious food.
In the year my wife and I spent in Korea, the times
we went out for kalbi were times when we really
connected with and felt close to our Korean friends
and family. Language and cultural barriers fell
to the wayside as we ate and drank and laughed.
There are no tables for one in the world of Korean
barbecue! This delicious marriage between the social
and the culinary, between the communal and the delicious,
between friendship and flavor lends itself perfectly
to the summer outdoor party. What better way to
enjoy a warm summer evening than coming together
with family and friends, not to mention a whole
lot of meat, and truly sharing a meal.
There are many elements to
consider when putting together your Korean barbecue
party. First you need to determine the setup of
your cooking surface. A small outdoor tabletop
grill (or indoor electric grill) placed in the
center of a picnic table will provide the closest
thing to an authentic experience, allowing your
guests to grill and devour at their leisure in a
communal setting. But perhaps your guests are not
interested in placing their hands and chopsticks
in harms way or you may have the safety of little
ones to consider. No matter, in these instances
grilling the meat yourself and bringing it to the
table is an acceptable alternative. Just place a
huge plateful of still steaming meat in the center
of the table and tell you guests to have at it.
While less authentic, your guests will certainly
still enjoy their seared morsels of marinated meat.
And the layout of your table with communal plates
of meat, side dishes, and condiments within chopsticks
reach will still bring a uniquely interactive aura
to the meal.
The next thing to consider
is what exactly to put on your grill. While a simple
serving of beef kalbi or pork bulgogi will suffice,
variety will make your barbecue a truly memorable
experience. I find that fresh squid in a red pepper
marinade always makes an impression. At the very
least, cleaning and preparing a whole squid is a
wholly unique experience in itself. Just be careful
not to leave it on the grill too long. Two minutes
on each side should be just enough; otherwise you
will end up with an inedible, rubbery mess. To accompany
your grilled goodies, you should provide some greenery
to wrap them in, such as perilla leaves and leaf
lettuce. Then set out some sliced garlic and a healthy
amount of kochu jang (red pepper sauce) and your
guests will be able to construct a yummy little
package, which they can greedily devour.
Then, of course, there are
the all-important pancheon, which is the myriad
of small side dishes that accompany every Korean
meal (I always say a silent prayer for the poor,
overworked dishwasher at every Korean restaurant
I visit). Spinach, sliced shiitakes, or bean sprouts
cooked then served chilled in a simple sesame oil
and rice wine marinade will bring wonderful colors
and flavors to your table. And there should always
be three to four varieties of the omnipresent kimchi
or you will have no business calling this a Korean
anything. This should include the commonly seen
red pepper varieties as well as the sweet, sliced
yellow kimchi, which provides a nice refreshing
foil to its spicier counterparts. While there are
good recipes for kimchi available, this is something
you may want to purchase at your local Korean grocery
store (unless you have inroads into the Korean American
community, in which case you should brazenly abuse
your connections and try to get the homemade stuff)
as the fermentation of this most Korean of dishes
takes weeks and even months to come to fruition.
All of these dishes should be put out on the table
first so your guests may snack on them while waiting
for the main course and should be kept filled throughout
the entire meal.
For beverages, the aforementioned
soju served in a nice sake
set will provide an authentic touch. Just remember
your Korean etiquette: use two hands to pour and
never pour your own glass. If you cannot get your
hands on soju, a decent lager will work just fine.
For the teetotalers, plum juice or some green
tea - jasmine pearls always make for a beautiful
presentation - should suffice. Of course, chopsticks
are a must (you can keep some of those clumsy forks
in reserve for the amateurs). Add some tea lights
and some Korean folk music for ambience and your
guests should be in for an evening to remember!
One or two days before the party: Make a trip to
your local Korean grocery store and begin gathering
ingredients. Most stores will have meat that is
specifically butchered for kalbi and bulgogi recipes.
See if they have any prepared pancheon that might
save you some prep time. Don’t forget the
kimchi! Also, most pancheon dishes can be prepared
at this time and stored in the refrigerator until
the party.
Four to eight hours before
the party: Begin marinating any beef, pork or chicken
that you will be grilling. Make sure the beer, soju,
and juice are chilled. Make sure your grill is clean
and ready. You can also prep and refrigerate any
sauces. It’s also a good idea to plate all
of your pancheon at this time, cover them with plastic
wrap and refrigerate them.
One to two hours before the
party: Tear lettuce; slice garlic; set the table.
If you will be marinating seafood, prepare the marinade
at this time.
Fifteen to thirty minutes
before the party: Start the charcoal, or flip on
the gas, whatever you need to do to get your grill
hot and ready. Begin marinating seafood. Put the
pancheon, lettuce, garlic, kochu jang, and any other
sauces out on the table. Flip on the music and light
the tea lights (if it is particularly dry or windy,
you may want to forgo the latter).
Party time: Get your guests
started on the pancheon and drinks while you bring
out the marinated meat. Start putting the meat out
on the grill, informing them that they are responsible
for pulling off pieces that are done. Keep an eye
out for neglected pieces smoldering in the corner.
Make sure that pancheon dishes and glasses stay
full and that your guests are having a fabulous
time!
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