Yes, the 4th of July in the United States is about being All-American, but in my house, we celebrate Korean-style. At least when it comes to food.
One of the centerpieces of any Korean BBQ is galbee, the cross-cut shortribs that are marinated in a sweet soy sauce, then grilled. It's the same basic marinade as for bulgogi, which I shared before. If you want to do galbee up right, make sure you're prepared - you've got to marinate the shortribs overnight at the very least.
Galbee
Toss 1 lb. crosscut shortribs (either have the butcher do it for you, or go to a Korean grocery store, where they sell the meat already sliced) with 1 T. each of sugar and rice vinegar.
In a small bowl, combine 5 T. soy sauce, 2 T sugar, 2 T rice wine, 2-3 super finely minced garlic cloves, ½ t. super finely minced fresh ginger, 1 finely chopped green onion (including white parts), 1 T. sesame oil, a dash of pepper and 2 T. water.
Pour over sliced meat and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Grill on your grill, about 3 minutes on each side. My entire family likes theirs well-done, whereas I prefer slightly medium rare.
(** As a side note, you can add half a pureed kiwi to the marinade as a tenderizer.)
6-28-2007 @6:10PM jsmylie said... Yesssss. A friend of mine from high school introduced me to Korean BBQ and now I gobble it down any chance I can get. I'll file this recipe--the only halfway decent one I'd found was this one (http://www.recipe4living.com/Recipe/32962-KoreanSteak.aspx).
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6-28-2007 @6:19PM amber said... we actually started making Korean BBQ when we lived in Maui. It was delicious, the ingredients were easy to find there, and it just fit the whole mood! now that we have moved to Seattle (where the sun is practically non-existant), I think making this dish again for the 4th will bring back wonderful memories of sun and sand.
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6-28-2007 @9:01PM val said... Korean barbecue we make with london broil named bulgogi its delightful never have made it with short ribs maybe will try it.
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6-28-2007 @9:29PM Harold Hupmobile said... I had these at a Korean friend's graduation party, along with several other Korean delights. Absolutely delicious.
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6-29-2007 @1:25PM seung said... Couple of things to watch for:
-Some stores that sell xc shortribs leave small bone fragments in the meat which is a REAL pain to bite into unexpectedly.
-Seattle is not *that* dreary, although this summer has been lacking in the sun department ;).
Whats with this kiwi thing I keep seeing in recipes over here? I've never seen Korean people use fruit in their meat marinades.
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6-29-2007 @6:01PM Silver_Potato said... I have but it's usually pear or apples.
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6-30-2007 @2:04PM winebot said... kiwis? YES!
sprite? YES!
all the fruit/soda they use goes to tenderizing and flavorizing the meat.
try it, its awesome.
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7-01-2007 @9:23PM scrivener said... As you probably know, just about every non-chain takeout place in Hawaii has kalbi on the menu. It's almost a staple here.
What are your thoughts on those recipes that use Coca-Cola (or I guess Sprite, as mentioned above) as a tenderizer in the marinate? I've been told the results are terrific, but does this violate some kind of aesthetic? Like using Cheez-Wiz on a French Onion soup?
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7-02-2007 @1:22PM Patrick said... The sugar and coloring in the coke is really nice for meats.
If you really like soya sauce chicken (which you can only seem to buy in Asian shops that don't speak English), you can make this yourself and it's pretty close:
1/2 can Coke
1/2 cup soya sauce
4 chicken thighs (with or without skin)
Throw the liquids into a pot and bring it to a boil. Throw the chicken in and boil for about 15 minutes and you're done.
You can also use the coke/soya sauce as a marinade, and just leave it for a few hours in the fridge with the chicken. Then you can grill/pan fry it if you don't like boiled meat.
The sugar in the coke really makes the meat tender and juicy.
This was probably my first recipe that I learned when I started cooking in university and on a budget (i.e. canned beans and taco shells).
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7-05-2007 @1:30PM MJ said... Thank you I have been wanting the recipe for that sauce forever. I always order a big container of sauce when I call in my orders!
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7-05-2007 @1:50PM MJ said... Thank you I have been wanting the recipe for that sauce forever. I always order a big container of sauce when I call in my orders!
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7-05-2007 @10:56PM Sarah said... Instead of using kiwi, try pear.
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7-06-2007 @6:47PM Dartssnake said... In Korea, I think Kin Cider was often used in a marinade. I had a thought to use a strong Ginger beer , the next time I make Bulgogi or Kalbi
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