Korean BBQ Beef - (Pulgogi)

Almost 30 years ago my wife and I visited Korea, and we still have the memories of two well known fares: Kimchi and Bulgogi. I had a Jones for pulgogi and decided to use the steak I had in the freezer to fulfill my craving. I found a few recipes that were very authentic, and combined the features into a marinade that made me very happy. I have reproduced my recipe below, along with a couple of the different background explanations from each recipe I used for inspiration. I have had this best served over simple and sticky white rice...

Korean barbecued beef (pulgogi) 

Next to kimchi, pulgogi may be Korea's best-known dish. Thin strips of spicy beef are cooked over a pulgogi, a dome-shaped charcoal grill. The beef is flavored with a complex, sweet and salty marinade - made with minced pear or kiwi, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds and rice wine - which tenderizes and flavors the beef. Garlic is a key, and be sure to toast those sesame seeds!


Although it is often eaten during the summer as picnic fare, this dish is good any time. Thinly sliced pork loin or tofu can be substituted for the beef, and can be grilled with optional mushrooms and onions for an authentic Korean dish.


This version was cooked on a charcoal grill with hickory.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
• 5 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pear - peeled, cored, and minced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

Chefs note (optional): for a little extra spice, I added a bit of Asian chili-garlic sauce, which added to the complexity with some heat at the back end; you could also simply add freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Directions to make korean barbecued beef (pulgogi)
In a large bowl or ziploc bag, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, black pepper, garlic, green onions, and sesame seeds.

· Slice beef thinly into 1/2 x 2-inch pieces. (It helps in the beef is partially frozen when you slice it) Add meat to soy sauce mixture in bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

· Grill meat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until brown.

· Serve with vegetable side dishes, such as the onions and mushrooms, broccoli, or zucchini or spinach, and rice. (*)

(*) Barbecued beef or pork also works well as a finger food. Place several slices of beef on a leaf of romaine lettuce and top it with 2 teaspoons of hot cooked rice and a dash of cayenne pepper. Roll up the leaf and enjoy.

Preparation time: 25 to 25 minutes
(plus chilling time of 1 to 2 hours)
Cooking time: 4 to 6 minutes
Serves 6

Carne Asada Tacos

One of my favorite things is "street tacos" from my days of traveling down to Baja.

Street tacos are simple, and delicious.

For my version of these tacos, I bought some nice looking Skirt Steak, and mixed up a marinade of the New Mexico Dry Rub added to about a quarter cup of olive oil and some red wine vinegar. I let this marinade soak for about 2 hours.

Heat the grill and add some hickory or mesquite wood chips, and grill until you have a decent char on the steak. Skirt steak is a thin, marbled cut of meat, so be careful not to let it go too hot, too long. Contrary to the way it "should" be done, I usually leave the lid on my Weber kettle grill with a lower temperature to allow the meat to take on more of a smoke flavor.

The meat is then simply chopped/diced and placed into corn tortillas warmed directly on the flame of a stove or on the grill. Add a chopped cilantro/onion garnish (with diced jalepenos added to this if you like more heat), diced tomatoes and some of the Gabriel's guacomole... delicious!

Smoked Baby Backs, Apricot Chicken, and Marinated Artichoke with Cauliflower Gratin and Southwestern Slaw

Sometimes you practice and practice and then it is Showtime! With friends in town, it was time to cook all day and see what happened.

For the ribs, a spicy New Mexico style rub, 6 hours of smoking and a finishing Cherry-Chipotle Barbeque sauce (both recipes from Karen Putman's "Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food") ... and as long as I had room on the smoker I might as well smoke a pastrami for sandwiches later... right?!

Pictured above:

Smoked Baby backs with a Cherry Chipotle bbq sauce, Chicken Skewers with an Apricot glaze, Southwestern Slaw, Cauliflower Goat Cheese Gratin, and Smoked marinated Artichoke

For the baby backs: Cooking method is avg 230 degrees on a smoker. 2 1/2 to three hours smoking with a mixture of charcoal, oak and hickory or fruit wood such as cherry. Spray with apple juice every half hour or so. At the end of that time, wrap the ribs in foil (adding about a 1/4 cup of apple juice) and place back on the smoker for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Un wrap and place back on the grill for about 1/2 hour while glazing with sauce. (Rub and Sauce recipes courtesy Karen Putman's book "Championship Barbeque Secrets for Real Smoked Food")
Note: This cooking method is to produce ribs that are firm and pull cleanly off the bone; for "fall off the bone" ribs leave them in the foil a little longer.

Cherry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce
2 cups Ketchup
1 cup Cherry Preserves
1/2 cup Cherry Juice
1/2 packed brown suger
3 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder

Blend and simmer for about 10 minutes for flavors to blend

For the Chicken Skewers: Four or so chicken breasts sliced into thin strips and threaded onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers. Place on grill... when you flip them over glaze the cooked side, and when you take them off glaze the other side.

Apricot Glaze: (Adapted from Karen Putman's book above)

1 C Apricot preserves; 1/4 C maple syrup, 1/4 C packed brown Sugar, 3 tbsp Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger, fresh ground black pepper

For the Marinated Artichoke: (recipe courtesy Artichokes.org)

(Recipe for 4 artichokes, 8 servings ½ artichoke each)
This recipe is perfect for the lazy cook, since all preparation can be done the previous day. The slightly smoky taste compliments the nuttiness of the artichoke and no dip is necessary, although some might want to use additional marinade for dipping.

Ingredients: 4 large artichokes, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup water, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 T minced ginger, ¼ cup olive oil

Method:
Slice artichoke tops off, crosswise. Trim Stems.
Boil or steam artichokes until bottoms pierce easily, or a petal pulls off easily.
Drain artichokes. Cool. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and scrape out fuzzy center and any purple tipped petals.
Mix remaining ingredients in a large plastic bag. Place artichokes in the bag and coat all sides of the artichokes. For best flavor marinate in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator but should marinate at least one hour.
Drain artichokes. Place cut side down on a grill over a solid bed of medium coals or gas grill on medium. Grill until lightly browned on the cut side, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn artichokes over and drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the artichokes. Grill until petal tips are lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Serve hot or room temperature

For the Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin: (Recipe Courtesy Bobby Flay)

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (cooks note: I used Pepper Jack)
2 cups grated Parmesan
6 ounces goat cheese, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Layer the cauliflower, heavy cream, and the 3 cheeses in a medium casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Cook's Note: Recipe can be doubled and made in a roasting pan.

For the Southwestern Slaw: (recipe Courtesy Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients
1 medium jicama, sliced into thin strips (about 3 cups)
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
1 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, toss together the jicama, cabbage, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Homemade Pastrami - ALMOST from scratch!

Pastrami starts with a beef brisket, which is brined for anywhere from 3 to 14 days depending on who is doing the prep. This process is called "Corning" and turns the brisket into "Corned Beef". The difference between Corned Beef and pastrami is that if you want to eat Corned Beef from here you just boil the meat, and if you want Pastrami then the Corned Beef is seasoned and then smoked to turn it into a Pastrami. Having tried this process from start to finish, and having had a large brisket in the refrigerator for an inordinate amount of time, and owing to my limited patience, I find that it is very easy and economical to simply skip the brining or corning process and buy a pre-packaged already brined /corned beef. Then all of this (with a very little planning) can be done in one day.

Thanks and Kudos to Chuck Martling for his recipes and methods on this one, from which my recipe is adapted...

1. Buy a packaged brined but un-cooked corned beef.

Take a look at the beef and make sure there is good marbling if you want more flavor, or a thin layer of fat running through the middle.

2. Rinse off the corned beef/pastrami and allow it to soak in cold water for at least one hour- two is better. This will help remove the salts from the packed brine that helped with the transformation from brisket to the beef being “corned”. Don’t skip this step; it will make the difference between your eating a corned beef or our goal of smoking a nice Pastrami.

3. Rub the pastrami with recipe below while the smoker gets up to temp
ADJUSTED RUB FOR RANDY
Adapted from Chuck Marting's recipe rub #3 ( www.bossmanbbq.com ) below:

· 2 Tbsp Freshly ground Black Pepper (or more)
· 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp whole coriander seed toasted in a pan and crushed in a mortar/pestle
· 1/3 Tsp Ground Thyme
· 1 Tsp Granulated Onion powder
· 1 Tsp Paprika
· 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
· *1 Tsp Juniper berry (Added/optional)

4. Smoke the beef at 225-250...with a mix of Oak and Sugar Maple woods for flavor. If desired you can, use a spray bottle to mist the pastrami with apple juice, Dr. Pepper or any other type of basting spray you would prefer to help keep the pastrami moist.

When the pastrami reaches an internal temperature of 140, remove it from the smoker, add 1 cup of apple juice and then double wrap it with aluminum foil before returning it to the smoker.

Let the pastrami continue to smoke until an internal temperature of 160-165 is reached (about 1 1/2 -2 hours), then remove it and allow it to set for 45 minutes to an hour.

Note: the final product pictured below is pretty lean and has okay flavor. If you are trying to duplicate that old deli pastrami from your youth, look for more marbling in the brisket you buy, or get one cut from the side where there is a layer of fat through the middle... you can see it through the package you buy. The rendering of the fat through the slow-smoking process adds flavor!

I usually let this refrigerate overnight... after slicing it cold, I wrap the slices in foil and heat them at 300 - 350 for about 7 - 10 minutes for a hot pastrami sandwich....

Note: According to Steven Raichelin in his "How To Grill" cookbook, pastrami is more of a method than a meat... it can be made with other meats or poultry... he has a recipe for turkey pastrami in his book that I will try soon!.