If you’ve ever had Korean barbecue, then you already know how intoxicating it is – that sensory explosion of salty, spicy, sweet, sour, smoky, crunchy and crisp plus the fact that you are not only allowed to play with your food, you are encouraged to do so. What if I told you you could do it yourself? In fact, I believe that I already did. Now I’m going to make it easy. I’m going to lay out a Korean barbecue recipe in 7 simple steps (plus I’ll throw in my famous lychee martini recipe to sweeten the deal):
1. Fire
For Korean barbecue, you’ll want a butane burner with a cooking plate
(My set-up, which I use outdoors and indoors – with the kitchen fan on.)
2. Flavor
You can use any marinade you like. But here are three I like to play with in my Korean barbecue recipe:
- Citrus Garlic Sy
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 cup of Citrus Fruit juice (such as pineapple or orange) plus a splash of lime
Sesame Ginger:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger root
- 1/2 tablespoon minced onion
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Read mrore about DIY herbal energy recipes using ginger
Honey Hoison:
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3. Infusion
Slice up veggies and protein; allow the flavor of the marinade to infuse them for as little as 10 minutes (as much as overnight). Try:
- Shrimp, sliced in half lengthwise (salmon and tuna work well too) Filet mignon (sliced to a ¼ inch)
- · Chicken breast (sliced as thin as you can – it’s cooked when it’s no longer pink)
- · Tofu/meat substitutes
- · Vegetables, sliced thin, (peppers, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, onions, baby corn, water chestnuts, or any of these:
4. Adornments
Rice: Wash until water runs clear. Combine two times as much water as rice, allow to boil, then remove from heat. Fluff with a fork after 20 minutes.
Lettuce Wrappers: Use any soft lettuce: Boston Bibb, Red Leaf, etc.
Dipping Sauces:
- · ¼ cup of Sesame oil plus 1 teaspoon sea salt
- · ¼ cup soy sauce to plus 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper
- · Sriracha sauce
Other Adornments: Sliced onion, chopped cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, pepper-infused oils, etc.
5. Be the MC (Master of Cooking):
- Plug a butane canister into your burner. Set to high.
- Spray cooking plate with oil.
- Toss veggies on cooking plate. Stir only occasionally to avoid burning, and otherwise use your time to surround the burner with the plates holding your proteins, adornments, plates and eating utensils and napkins. .
- Arrange cooked vegetables on a serving platter, and call in your guests.
6. Be a Show-Off
Demonstrate how to lay a piece of filet mignon on the grill plate, allowing it to cook for one minute per side. Then demonstrate how to make a handroll out of lettuce, rice, dipping sauce and other adornments. Before turning over the grill to your guests, make sure they know that chicken must be fully cooked – no pink – to be safe.
7. Let your guests play
And while they’re at it, make a batch of Lychee Martinis:
- Puree 1 Cup Lychees
- with ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar (or, if you must, their own syrup, if you buy them canned).
- Strain, discarding solids.
- Shake with ice, 9 ounces of vodka and 3 ounces of lychee liqueur.
- Strain into glasses; garnish with a splash of pomengranate juice – or a lychee.
Read more about hosting a healthy bbq
Photo Credit: foodnut.com
