Kalbi Bun
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 8 servings
- Total: 1 day 2 hr 10 min (includes marinating time)
- Active: 1 hr 10 min
Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
5 large cloves garlic
1 pound boneless beef (ribeye or prime chuck), sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
One 1-inch piece ginger, pureed
Splash of cola
Splash of apple soda
2 tablespoons cooking oil
8 frozen gua bao buns
Spicy Aioli, recipe follows
2 cups mixed baby greens, for serving
Tempura Onions, recipe follows
Spicy Aioli:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup your favorite hot sauce (recommended: sriracha)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup sambal (chile-garlic paste)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, pureed
Tempura Onions:
2 cups cooking oil
1 cup buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup tempura flour
1/2 cup cold lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite
1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch-thick rings or strips
Directions
- Puree the onions and garlic in a food processor until smooth, adding a splash of water if needed. Pour the puree over the beef and let sit it at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes. (This step is to tenderize the meat. If you are worried about leaving meat out, place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.)
- Whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, corn syrup, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, cola, apple soda and 1/2 cup room temperature water until well incorporated. Pour the mixture over the beef and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Set a skillet over high heat and get the oil scorching hot. Drop in the beef and listen for a sizzle when it hits the pan. (We are looking for a sear on the bottom, so do not touch the meat for first 2 minutes; let the pan do the work.) Once the edges of the meat are brown, mix it up while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until the meat juices have reduced by half and been absorbed into the beef, about 10 minutes.
- Set up a steamer and steam the frozen gua bao buns until they have a soft, pillow-like texture, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully open the steamed buns and drizzle some spicy aioli inside. Add a layer of baby greens and then, with a spoon or tongs, place the beef on top of the greens. Garnish the beef with tempura onions.
Spicy Aioli:
- Mix the mayonnaise, hot sauce, sour cream, corn syrup, sambal, honey, sesame oil and garlic in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. (Add half the amount of hot sauce and double the sour cream for milder heat.)
Tempura Onions:
- Heat the oil in a pot to 350 degrees F for frying.
- Season the buttermilk with salt and pepper and set aside. Whisk the tempura flour, sprite, and 1/4 cup ice-cold water to get a pancake batter consistency. Dip the onions in the buttermilk, then coat them with the batter. Fry the onions until amber brown, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook’s Note
It is important that the liquids are as cold as you can get them, as the reaction of ice-cold batter in the hot oil makes the onions extra crispy.