AWESOME KOREAN BARBECUE

Although Korean BBQ has become more popular in recent years, I don't think it receives nearly the recognition it deserves. Being an extensive traveler and a big fan of Barbecue, I can confidently say that I have had the great pleasure of experiencing a great deal of our countries meat cuisine. Yet and still I find it tough to find anything as satisfying as Korean style BBQ. Maybe it's because I'm Korean, but I wouldn't say I have a biased opinion. well, maybe just a teeny, weeny, tiny little bit. I've had Carolina Q, Kansas City Q, Memphis Pit, Chicago, Texas, just about every Southern State's version of BBQ, but I guess the heart is where home is.

Korean style short ribs (Kalbi) are our best known along with our thinly sliced rib eye (Bulgogi). Both of these dishes use the same marinade sauce which I am about to give you the recipe to. Keep in mind that the thinly sliced beef does not need to be marinated over-night, but I would recommend it for the short ribs, not only for the best flavor, but to help with the tenderizing process. This is the basic recipe, just adjust the measurements according to the amount of meat you wish to prepare. Remember, you want to be able to completely submerge the meat in the marinade.

1/2 cup of quality soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine
1/5 cup water
1/4 cup white or brown sugar
2 tblspn sesame oil
1 tspn red chili powder or black pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
1-2 presses of ginger
green onions chopped

That's the basic recipe, but make sure you make corrections according to taste. All good cooks always taste what they are concocting. Now, some people like to put a little bit of toasted sesame seeds into it, but I have always felt it unnecessary since sesame oil is already in there. Sesame oil is quite strong and a little of it goes a long way.

If you plan on cooking the meat in a pan or skillet, then I would recommend maybe putting a dash of liquid smoke into the marinade, but this is completely optional as well. I think the best way is to grill the meat over wood chips, which really maximizes the taste and flavors.

Not to be left out, vegetarians may also use this marinade for their tofu steaks or veggie patties. It's healthy and carries a ton of flavor to titilate your meatless palate.

We also have a marinade for spicy BBQ which is guaranteed to knock your tongue upside down and inside out. I shall do my best to recreate the recipe for you below. However, I have only made it once or twice, so my measurements may be a little off. Just put it together and taste along the way. It should be salty and sweet with plenty of fire behind it.

2 heaping tblspns of thick red chili paste
1 tspn sesame oil
3 tblsns white or brown sugar
3 tblspns honey
2 tblspns water
3 tblspns rice wine
1 tblspn rice wine vinegar
1-2 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
1 press of ginger
green onions chopped

It is best to use thinner cuts of meat with this marinade and you don't necessarily have to marinate over night for this. I have never used this for beef. We generally use this marinade for pork, chicken, and calimari.