Korean BBQ

Although Tina and I have bonded over many things (including our love of bad movies, our Seattle connection, and our general awesomeness), I think food plays a very large role in our friendship. Epic thanksgiving dinners aside, my introduction to Korean BBQ has made me a very happy face-stuffer.

Although it is really fun to go out to a Korean BBQ restaurant and have that little grill and all those yummy side dishes that Tina has to explain, making it at home is SO fast, SO easy, and SO delicious (and you don't actually have to use a grill either). We can get our chili paste, etc, here at a store called H Mart, but I wonder if Uwajimaya carries it too...


Daeji Bulgogi (Spicy Korean Pork Barbecue)
Note: there are a bunch of different recipes out there, but this one was delicious and easy!

Ingredients:

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed (my grocery store doesn't have a butcher, so I had to use pork loin which we pounded flat. It worked, but it makes a big different to have that very thin cut tenderloin).
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbs thai chili paste
1 tsp minced peeled ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced

Note: this makes "spicy" pork bbq, but I didn't think there was very much heat. This was not that spicy at all (and I'm a wuss), but if you want to adjust heat, either increase or decrease the amount of red pepper flakes and/or the thai chili paste (but I don't recommend it!)

1. Cut pork into thin strips (1/16th inch slices is recommended). Trim fat from sides.


(I know these look like naked mole rats, which is gross, but I promise they aren't...)

2. Combine all ingredients together- mix well, add pork. Cover pork in mixture, set aside in refrigerator for an hour or more to marinate.


Note: the recipe says you should mix it together in a baggie, but I think a bowl is a much easier way to make sure the ingredients are all mixed together and the pork is evenly marinated. Just sayin'.

3. Heat your cooking surface. If using a grill, spray liberally with cooking spray. If using stove top (which I prefer, because it preserves some of the marinade as a sauce for your rice), pour in a 1/2 tbs-1 tbs of vegetable oil and heat a deep skillet. When surface is hot, pour in meat/marinade and cook for 5-10 minutes until cooked through.


Serve with sticky rice (place rice in strainer, rinse under cold water until the water runs clear- it takes away the starch. Then, let the rice sit in the cooking water for 20-30 minutes before cooking according to directions) and with large lettuce leaves to wrap the rice and pork in.


There are these delicious marinated sesame leaves that Tina rustled up at H Mart- I wrap them around the pork and rice too, or just use my fingers to stuff them in my mouth. I mean... I have table manners so that would never happen.