Korean BBQue
19 May, 2020
Alright. So this meal has a special place in my heart. I spent 5 months with my squadron in Pohang, or “Pohangsi” Korea. Pohang is on the Eastern shore of the Peninsula, and is one city where you can fully immerse yourself in the culture. I call it the “Pittsburgh” of Korea, because it is the home of POSCO Steel. Probably three times a week we went out for some “Beef and Leaf” as the guys liked to call it. I have adapted my favorite things from a traditional Korean BBQ menu and some of my favorite Americanized side options. Traditionally, if you go for Korean BBQ in Korea, you pretty much get kimchi, beef, pork, and an array of different leafs and greens. Honestly, this was a very healthy way to eat out. The most unhealthy portion of the meal is probably the marinades, because they usually have some brown sugar and gluten incorporated.
The fun part of Korean BBQ is that it is a great way to socialize and bring people together. You can make it what you want. Most of the components I have added to my home menus, are probably more unhealthy than healthy. If its your first time, make it simple. You can start experimenting with more homemade ingredients once you do it a couple of times. For this post I am going to keep it simple (though it may not seem that way when you do it the first time). For once, I am going to recommend something to you that comes from a jar……….. the marinades. Once you are at a varsity level, I’ll add some homemade fresh marinades you can work on. You also do not need to go with the exact meat cuts I go with. Honestly, I go with the best looking varieties when I go to the store. Try to find an Asian grocer, or if you are in a city, there is probably a great Korean Specific Store. Plan to have a little more time in the store, because there are always so many interesting options and vegetables you are not used to looking at in your normal grocery store.
Marinating the Meat
Slice your pork and beef up into small bite size pieces. You also have the option of starting to cook it, and then using kitchen shears to cut the meat after it is done cooking. Grab a ziploc bag for each type of meat. Add each meat to the bag and then add the designated marinade for each meat into the bag. I prefer to give myself enough time to have the meat marinate for at least 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. Make sure you lay the bags flat, and flip them halfway through the marinating process.
Prepping the Extras
The idea with whatever veggies you choose, is to separate them into bite sized pieces. I broke the bok choy and the lettuce up into single pieces. Slice the mushrooms similar to the way you would slice a button mushroom. Once you have all of your veggies washed and sliced, put them on a tray to lay out on the table. Slice the mini cucumbers for a garnish on the meat Bao sandwich option. To steam the Bao buns, I just put them in the microwave with a wet paper towel covering them, and I cook them for 2 minutes. For my Siracha mayo, I just mix together 1/2 cup of mayo and 1 Tablespoon of sriracha sauce. If you want to add steamed egg to the menu, crack your eggs into a prep bowl and whisk together. Add in the chopped green onions, and season with salt and pepper. Put the prepped eggs on the table with the vegetables. Also put the UDON noodles and cooked rice on the table.
Let the Socializing Cooking Begin!
Don’t forget to fry up your dumplings as an appetizer while the cooking process gets going! I went with some flat vegetable and pork dumplings!
Finally, take all of the meat out of the marinating bags, and put them each into their own bowl on the table.
Now lets talk grills. You can get these supplies on amazon, or most Asian grocery stores will have the basic necessities. The burners usually run about 20-25 dollars, and don’t forget the butane canisters, which run about 5 dollars for a package of 4 cans. I prefer a pan with some side compartments for home cooking as it provides more space when you start to heat some of the veggies, and steam the egg. Usually the best price for these are at an Asian grocery store, vice amazon.
Once you have everything out on the table, get those burners lit and start heating the pans! Once the pans are hot, I start with the first round of meat, to get some oils from the marinade lubricating the grill. The idea is, as the meat reaches its cooked point, people can pull their own meat off the grill. Eventually, people will stat getting full, so for the second round of cooking, I start adding the veggies and noodles. At this point, I also add the garlic, peppers, and eggs to the edge of the pan. These will take longer to cook, because the pan is cooler at the edges. As you are cooking and flipping the meats, move the cooked meat to the sides of the pan, so you can cook the new meats in the center, where the pan is hottest. To keep the noodles moist, I drizzle some of the meat marinade over them as I add them to the grill (This also adds some great flavor!).
Once you have the cooking going, encourage your guests to join in the cooking by assisting on the grill and cooking what they want! Now is the time to get creative! Make a meat lettuce taco! Create a Bao Bun with meat, mayo, and cucumber! Gosh Darn! Make your own meat, rice, and kimchi bowl! The world is your oyster!
Last But not Least…….. The Beverages!
Traditionally, you add some soju and beer to every beef an leaf meal. Make sure you are not pouring your own drink! Have some class and manners, guys, pour your neighbor’s drink! Pour the amount of soju you would like (I would say this is a preference, but the Navy preference seemed to be a lot higher than the local Pohang preference, so be careful not to overdo it!). I am not a soju aficionado, so I usually go with a plain flavor. But, I will say my favorite Korean beer is extra cold Hite (Hite totally beets Cass in my opinion). Once you have your soju in your cup, pour in some beer to fill it up! This drink will be nice and light and refreshing. Enjoy the friendship and comraderie in this meal, and appreciate the friends and family you have in your life. Mix this meal up with some of your own favorites and enjoy!
