Ingredients

• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup mirin*
• 1 cup sake
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 Asian pear, chopped (substitute a regular pear or an apple)
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, sliced thin
• 1 pound large shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and butterflied
• 2 tablespoons hot chili paste (recommended: Srirachi Hot Chili Paste)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 3 scallions, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 pounds beef short ribs
• 8 baby lamb chops
• *Japanese cooking wine, can be found in Asian and gourmet shops

To serve:

• Mixed lettuce leaves
• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 1 bunch fresh shiso or basil
• 2 to 3 fresh red hot peppers
• Soy Sauce
• Hot sauce or hot chili paste
• Quick Spicy Kimchee, recipe follows
• Sweet Pickled Daikon, recipe follows
• Cool Sesame Cucumbers, recipe follows

Directions

Quick Spicy Kimchee:

1 head Napa cabbage, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons hot chili paste (recommended: Srirachi Hot Chili Paste)

1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 scallions, finely sliced

Remove outer leaves from cabbage. Cut cabbage in quarters and remove the tough inner core. Slice across sections into 1/2-inch slices. Put into a colander, add salt, and mix well. Place over a bowl and let drain, covered, until wilted, about 2 hours.

In a large bowl combine the vinegar and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the chili paste, ginger, garlic, and scallions and stir. Rinse the salt off the cabbage with a couple of changes of water. Dry well and add to the vinegar mixture; stir well to combine. Put into a sterilized glass jar and pack the cabbage down; add enough water to cover. Close the jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This is spicy and gets spicier the longer it sits - add or subtract chili paste to your taste.

Yield: 1 quart

Sweet Pickled Daikon Radish:

1 cup rice vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 pound daikon radish

1/4 cup kosher salt

In a small saucepan over medium heat add the vinegar, water, sugar, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, peel the daikon radish and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. (If your daikon is very large, slice the rounds into semicircles.) Place in a colander with salt and mix well. Place the colander over a bowl and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse the salt off with a couple of changes of water and dry the daikon well. Put into a sterilized glass jar. Pour the cooled brine through a coffee filter (or a cheesecloth lined strainer) into the jar to cover the radish slices. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep for about 2 weeks.

Yield: 1 quart

Cool Sesame Cucumbers:

2 regular or English cucumbers

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1/2 bunch fresh mint, leaves only

Kosher salt

Slice the cucumber into thin rounds. Put them into a bowl and toss them with the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, mint leaves and salt, to taste.

Yield: 8 side servings