Korean BBQ Night
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
Marinade:
1 cup Asian pear, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 cup onion, cut into large chunks
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sake
5 cloves garlic, peeled
Kalbi:
2 pounds skirt steak, cleaned and cut into pieces
Spicy Pork:
1/2 cup gochujang
2 pounds pork shoulder, sliced very thin
Mixed Wild Mushrooms:
1 to 2 pounds any mix of the following mushrooms: cremini, hon-shimeji, maitake, oyster, shiitake
Cucumber Kimchi:
5 mini seedless cucumbers, thinly slice on a mandoline
2 small shallots, thinly slice on a mandoline
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup gochugaru (Korean red chile pepper flakes)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
5 cloves garlic, grated
Sesame seeds
Apple Ssamjang:
1 cup Fuji apple, diced small
1/2 cup gochujang
1/4 cup doenjang
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, grated
Kimchi Animal Sauce:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons caramelized onions
2 tablespoons chopped kimchi
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Corn Cheese:
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Egg Soufflé:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Kimchi:
1 pound Napa kimchi, whole head
Lettuce Bouquet:
1 head butter lettuce
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 head little gem lettuce
1 head radicchio
1 head purple lettuce
Garnish for all BBQ:
Toasted sesame seeds
Chopped scallions
Directions
Special equipment:
a Korean BBQ grill plate- For the marinade: Throw the Asian pear, onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce, sake and garlic into a food processor and blend. Separate the marinade into 2 bowls and 1 saucepan.
- For the kalbi: In the first bowl of marinade, add the skirt steak and mix well. Refrigerate while preparing the other components.
- For the spicy pork: In the second bowl of marinade, whisk in the gochujang, add the pork shoulder and mix well. Refrigerate while preparing the other components.
- For the mixed wild mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Let the marinade in the saucepan come to a simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, separate the mushrooms, toss with some oil and roast for 12 to 15 minutes. When it is nice and roasted, toss the mushrooms in the reduced marinade.
- For the cucumber kimchi: Toss the sliced cucumbers and shallots with the salt in a medium bowl and let stand for 20 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. Rinse and drain the cucumbers and shallots and wipe out the bowl with a paper towel. Put the mixture in a cheesecloth and squeeze to remove all the moisture. (The cucumbers will be slightly bruised.) Add the gochugaru, sesame oil, vinegar, fish sauce and garlic and toss until the cucumbers are completely coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
- For the apple ssamjang: In a bowl, mix together the apple, gochujang, doenjang, sesame oil, scallions and garlic.
- For the kimchi animal sauce: In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, caramelized onions, kimchi, Dijon, pepper, sugar and sesame oil.
- For the corn cheese: In a bowl, mix the corn with the mayonnaise and salt. Add to the perimeter of a Korean BBQ grill plate/pan and top with the mozzarella cheese.
- For the egg soufflé: In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, water and salt until frothy. Add to the perimeter of a Korean BBQ grill plate/pan and grill.
- For the kimchi: Place in a bowl.
- For the lettuce bouquet: Separate and wash all the lettuce heads and arrange on a platter (like making a flower bouquet!)
- Heat the Korean BBQ grill plate/pan and working in batches, add the marinated kalbi and spicy pork and cook until cooked through. Alternatively, cook the kalbi on a grill pan and the spicy pork in a nonstick skillet.
- Enjoy the kalbi and spicy pork wrapped in lettuce with the sauces and other components and garnishes.
Cook’s Note
The mixed wild mushrooms are a beautiful mix of mushrooms and can be any variety; enoki and chanterelle also work. The lettuces can be any variety, whatever looks beautiful and local. Perilla, shiso, tatsoi, frisee and rainbow chard all work, too.