zen and the art of kalbi

[funcrusher]

I was inspired by the martini thread and resutling soju discussion to add some value to the forum...no real bike related insight or sweet ride pictures from me, so here's my recipe for kalbi.

You want to start with short ribs that are sliced on a cross bias of the ribs. The cut is called LA kalbi and is available at all Korean markets. This is becoming less difficult as H-Marts continue to spread across the country. But fear not...your local butcher can provide this cut. My mom was able to get this cut in the early 80s in Austin, TX when nobody knew what a Korean person was.

For every 5 lbs. of short ribs, you will need the following amounts in your marinade:

3/4 cup soy sauce (i like to use Kikkoman of the low sodium variety cuz Korean males have high blood pressure)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbs ground black pepper (don't kill yourself and buy the stuff that is already ground at costco)
6 cloves of garlic (you can actually add as much as you want)
1 tbs of ginger powder
6 tbs of sesame oil (i stick to the Japanese stuff)
5 stalks of scallions
1 tbs toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Now here is the secret. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Then use a hand blender to pulverize it. If you mix the wet ingredients and simply dice the solid stuff (garlic, scallions, sesame seeds) it will simply all off on the grill. What a waste!!

Take each individual piece of short ribs and dip it in the marinade for a good coating. Place it in another bowl. Make a row, then stack the next row perpendicularly until you get through all the ribs. If you get to the end and are running out of marinade, pour in some more soy sauce and sugar to extend it. Put in the fridge overnight. In the morning, flip the entire mass over. IMPORTANT: wear gloves otherwise your paws will stink for a couple of days.

Later that day throw it on the grill. I am lazy so I use a propane grill. But I grew up with my dad cooking kalbi on charcoal. And I know some of you dudes rock the Big Green Egg which would probably be amazing. Every grill is different, but I like to start with higher heat to get nice grill marks. Then I move it over to a cooler part of the grill to cook through. It doesn't take long cuz the pieces are thin. Nice medium rare is the way to go. Careful not to burn as the sugar content is high. Sometimes the chewy stuff around the bone needs a little more time. When I'm done with the meat, I usually throw the chewy bony bits back on the grill. This is in fact my favorite part.

Take your soju out of the fridge (not the freezer). Crack open the kimchee and warn the neighbors. Perhaps some romaine lettuce leafs (PF Changs stole the lettuce cup idea from us). ENJOY!!

[maunahaole]

Thanks for posting. I love kal-bi. When I have done it, I go with high heat and turn it a lot. There should be no idle time.

By crack open the kimchee, do you mean dig it up out of the backyard?

No worries about no bike insight. Cooking and booze threads are an important part of the forum.

[Noteddy]

All good cooking contributions are also important cycling discussions for those of us who ride to eat.

And this is a good one.

Sounds awesome!

[big shanty]

Thanks! I will make these.

[Too Tall]

Outstanding. Thanks. One of my all time favorite gourmet food trucks is a Korean BBQ. They make a Kalbi sub sandwich that makes you blush because other people don't have what you are eating ;)

[summilux]

mmmmm, meat. Here's some easy banchan to have on the side:

Pickled Daikon
-Peel and cube 1 medium daikon put in some leftover plastic container or mason jar
-Boil 1T salt, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 pinch tumeric (optional) till sugar dissolved
-Pour over cubed daikon and refrigerate when cooled
This keeps in the fridge for many weeks.

Cucumber/Kimchee Banchan
-1 cucumber, peel removed lengthwise in alternating stripes, seeded, halved and then cut into thin half-moon slices. Save the peel
-put cucumber slices in collander in sink and mix with 1T salt, wait 30 minutes
-chop 2 green onions
-rinse salted cucumber, squeeze excess water out
-combine cucumber, green onions and store bought kimchee till things look about right
-Sprinkle sesame seeds

Cucumber peel water
Take the leftover peel, add a few cups of cool water and let the whole thing steep for an hour or so. Refrigerate. Drink when it's hot outside.

[maunahaole]

I have a BBQ to go to this weekend. I know what I am bringing.

[soupless]

Thanks guys.

[maunahaole]

I made that cuke/kimchee sale for yesterday's BBQ throw down. I made three cukes worth. Pretty much got demolished by the crowd. It works really well with a spicy dish. Definite make again.

[WadePatton]

(don't kill yourself and buy the stuff that is already ground at costco)

now thassa funny-i love grinding peppercorns m/p style, mixing in various other seeds as tastes dictate (hint: mustard, celery, dill, etc.)

dish looks good, thanks fer sharon.

[funcrusher]

now thassa funny-i love grinding peppercorns m/p style, mixing in various other seeds as tastes dictate (hint: mustard, celery, dill, etc.)

dish looks good, thanks fer sharon.

i've tried both ways for this application...you're really gonna taste the fresh garlic, ginger, and soy...and you want finely ground pepper

under all other circumstances, i'm a grind yourself guy

[WadePatton]

...and you want finely ground pepper

under all other circumstances, i'm a grind yourself guy

i grind it as fine if not finer than what comes out of the mccormick can. mebbe i'm a wacko-but i've always preferred it fine. never liked the hunks that they chunk out onto your salad at the highfalutin' places.