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!

Swordfish medallions with soy orange ginger marinade

2 lb. swordfish steaks, whole or cubed for skewers
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. med. dry sherry
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp. dry ginger
1 tsp. grated fresh orange rind
1/4 c. orange juice
Black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil

Place swordfish in glass dish. In bowl combine oil, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, orange rind, orange juice and black pepper to taste. Pour mixture over swordfish, turning to coat with marinade. Let stand, covered and chilled, turning occasionally for 2-6 hours. Preheat grill; brush with vegetable oil.


Place fish on grill, basting with marinade, and cook approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness, turning halfway through cooking time. Garnish with parsley and orange slices. Makes 4 servings.

Pictured above with potatoes (coated with olive oil, pepper, fresh garlic and Herbs de Provence, then roasted at 425 until desired doneness), and creamed spinach.

Grilled Flank Steak with Soy-Lime-Ginger marinade

Marinade:

Mix together a half cup of oil with about a quarter cup of dark soy sauce, about 1 inch fresh ginger finely chopped, a clove of garlic, a couple of chopped green onions, a bit of fresh gound pepper, lime zest and the juice of about half a lime. Marinade for 2 hours or as much as over night. (Discard the marinade or you can reserve the marinade and bring it to a slow simmer for about 10 minutes for a sauce to drizzle over the steak when served).

Grill the flank steak over direct high heat till desired doneness (about 140 for medium). Remove and let rest fo a few minutes and slice across the grain.

I julienned carrots and added green beans and sliced muchrooms and seasoned them all with fresh garlic and chopped ginger and fresh ground pepper as well.

Jamaican Jerk Ribeye (HOT)

I got this from Bobby Flay's show "throwdown"... he challenged chef Nigel and his restaurant called "Ripe" who was then gracious enough to post the recipe below for the Ribeye Steak.

-- I found the actual recipe on Norm Schoen's "Eat or Die" blog

RECIPE FOR RIPE RESTAURANT'S "BIG ASS" JERK RUBBED RIBEYE STEAK

At the restaurant, we use the "Choice" Grade Cut.Feel free to use "Select" or "Prime" for this recipe,or any other cut from beef, pork or chicken. This Jerk Rub is very versatile.

1 16oz cut of boneless or bone-in Rib-Eye Steak.

Ingredients for Jerk Rub:

1tsp Nutmeg

2tsp White Pepper

¼ C Black Pepper

½ C Kosher salt

¾ C freshly ground Allspice

¾ C Brown Sugar

¾ C Orange Juice

1 whole Scotch Bonnet pepper

1 bunch Jamaican Thyme(about 10 stalks, picked from hard stems)

8 whole Garlic cloves

¾ C chopped Scallions (green onions)

2 cups whole Ajicito pepper (flavorful but not hot)

METHOD:Put ajicito peppers, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic cloves, thyme and scallions in food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. Then add the remaining ingredients except for the orange juice and blend. Slowly stream OJ into the processor until all is incorporated. You may adjust the amount of Orange Juice used depending on how dry or wet you prefer the rub to be. We like it be the consistency of a chutney.Smear paste over one side of steak and season the other side with salt and pepper. Marinate for 1 hour or up to 48 hours. Place steak on a hot grill and cook to just before desired doneness.Allow steak to rest (off the heat) for 10 minutes after cooking to redistribute juices and the carry-over cooking will bring it to your desired doneness. Then bite into that baby and lose your marbles!This Jerk Rub Recipe should make enough for at least 10 large Rib-Eye Steaks.The Rub can be stored in a tightly covered container in the refridgerator for up to 2 weeks.

NOTE:Ajicito peppers can be found in most Latin markets. It is also called "seasoning peppers" in Caribbean circles. It looks and smells just like a Scotch Bonnet pepper, but without the heat. It is used in the recipe to increase that scotch bonnet flavor, but can be substituted by adding a bit more green onions and scotch bonnet (if you can handle the additional heat). After letting this rub sit for a couple of days, the heat mellows out significantly anyway, so make a large batch by doubling or tripling the recipe. You won't be disappointed, and it lasts for weeks in the fridge.

Chadon Beni Sauce

(As Seen on "Throwdown" with Bobby Flay)

Chadon Beni (also called Shadow Benny in Trinidad & Culantro in Latin markets) has a broad, flat green leaf. Its a cousin of Cilantrowhich can be used as a substitute in the recipe.

1 cup densely packed Chandon Beni leaves.
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat italian parsley leaves
1 cup lime juice (fresh squeezed if available)

1/2 fresh scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero)

1/4 cup chopped scallions

6 whole peeled garlic cloves

1 tablespoon salt

Put all ingredients in blender and blend till smooth-add a little extra lime juice if puree is too thick

Culantro is VERY similar to cilantro in flavor, just a bit more powerful. Cilantro is a great substitute.The Jerk rub/marinade was EXTREMELY flavorful and even with only an hour of marinade time the flavors were jumping in my mouth. The Chadon Beni Sauce is well worth the effort too. It is a Chimichurri, but with a serious Island attitude.

Randy's notes: This recipe was HOT. I had Habanero peppers so I substituted those for the Scotch Bonnet peppers, and Anaheim Chiles for the Ajicito Peppers. The flavor is fantastic, but if you only like mild spice then cut the peppers and chiles...maybe even in half. The sauce to top this is imperative... that lime tang with the spice combinations is out of this world!

I served this with a Tomato Cucumber Red onion salad with balsamic vinagairette topped with goat cheese which helped counteract the heat.

Five Spice Chicken W/ Black Rice and Broccoli Stir Fry

I Found this recipe at Epicurious.com... Really good flavor... the dipping sauce makes it!

We will make this one again.

Five Spice Chicken

by Mai Pham

Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table
Ga Ngu Vi Huong
The best five-spice chicken I have had in Vietnam was made by a street food vendor in the port town of Hoi An in the central region. The vendor used a spice mix of freshly toasted star anise and turmeric. When she grilled the chicken, the whole neighborhood was perfumed with the most enticing fragrance. This is my version of that dish.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Marinade

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 tablespoon sea salt

4 whole star anise, lightly toasted in a dry pan for 3 minutes, pounded or ground into a fine powder

1/2 cup Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce (See recipe below)

1 Whole Chicken, cut up; or 4 bnls sknls Chicken breasts

Marinate the chicken for 1 to 2 hours

Grill with woodsmoke

(I used Hickory and a little bit of Mesquite for stronger smoke flavor)

Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce

Nuoc Tuong Pha
This vegetarian dipping sauce can be made with any soy sauce, including the Japanese-style Kikkoman, although the Vietnamese prefer the lighter-bodied Chinese-style products marketed under the brands Kim Lan, Bo De, and Pearl River Bridge. Like dipping sauces made with fish sauce, you can embellish this with different aromatics such as ginger and cilantro.

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

1 clove garlic

2 fresh Thai bird chilies

(Note: I substituted 1/2 jalpano chili because that is what was on hand)

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce, preferably Chinese style

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp

1/4 cup water, or to taste

1. Place the garlic, chilies and sugar in a mortar and pound into a paste.

(You can also chop the garlic and chilies by hand, or use a small food processor.)

Transfer to a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice and water. Stir until well blended.

This sauce will keep up to 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator in a tight-lidded jar.
Source Information

Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table

HarperCollins

Asian Broccoli Stir Fry

This broccoli goes great with Five Spice Chicken.
Ingredients:

· 1 bunch broccoli - cut into florets, stem peeled and chopped

White mushrooms, sliced (optional, pictured above)

· 1 Tbs oil
· 2 cloves garlic, minced, grated, or pressed
· 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

· 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
· 1 Tablespoon dry sherry
· 2 teaspoons sesame oil
· 1 teaspoon equivalent artificial sweetener

· 3 Tablespoons toasted slivered almonds

Note: this was a bit sweet for us... I will leave out the sweetner next time. Also, I added the almonds to the stir fry so they would take on some of the flavor of the stir fry sauce.

Preparation:
1) Lightly steam broccoli,

2) While that is happening, if the almonds aren't toasted, you can do that in the skillet you're going to use for the broccoli - either in a dry pan or a small amount of oil.

3) Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, and sweetener.

4) Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet.

5) Stir-fry the broccoli and mushrooms in hot oil for 1-2 minutes, until almost tender.

Push to the edges of the pan.

6) Put ginger and garlic in the center of the pan (add a little more oil if need be), and saute 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.

7) Put sauce in the pan, and toss all ingredients together. Top with almonds.

Marinated Chicken with Goat Cheese/Red Pepper sauce

My wife gave this meal 2 thumbs up (or is that 2 snaps and a circle?)

Salad :

Romaine, spinach, fresh basil leaves tooped with white mushrooms, red onion, marinated cucumbers, and tomatoes.

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, (*optional, I used 1/2 tsp), 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup tablespoons olive oil

Okay, for this one, marinate the chicken (breasts or thighs) in a mixture of 1/4 c balsamic, 2 tbs Olive oil, 1 tbs fresh rosemary, and 2 cloves garlic minced. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, cover the chx in plastic wrap and pound out flat (maybe 1/2"?) Place in sealed plastic bag to marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

When ready, grill the chicken over medium heat for 10 minutes or so... I used hickory wood for this one and it worked really well. (Source: Better Homes and Gardens "New Grilling book")

While that is marinating, make the goat cheese pepper sauce:

1/4 C store bought roasted red sweet peppers

Reserve about 1tsp of the liquid in the jar

In a food processor combine

the peppers,

about 4 oz. soft goat cheese

1 tsp fresh rosemary.

Process until reasonably smooth.

(Source: Better Homes and Gardens "New Grilling book")

The potatoes are really easy.

Dice em up.

Put em in a bowl.

Add some olive oil, Herbs de Provence, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic.

Mix it around and dump it on a non-stick baking sheet at 425 for about 20 minutes or until done to your preference of browning.