When I was a student in college, I volunteered to help foreign students
with their English. One of the students I was assigned to was from Korea.
We met every week (or more often if needed) to go through his papers.
As a way of saying "thank you", he and his wife made me a
special dinner - Bulgogi and rice. I asked if they would teach me how
to make it. The recipe below is based on that experience. As with many
Korean dishes, it is hot. I have "Americanized" this recipe
so that it tends toward the mild side. However, it has a sense of heat
that lingers and grows the more you eat. I think you will find it a
unique experience.
Bulgogi
(Korean Barbeque)
12 servings
8 pounds London Broil (or eye-of-round roast)
4 cups low sodium (light) Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
8 tbs Sesame Oil (dark)
6 tbs Sesame Seeds (roasted if possible)
2 cups packed Brown Sugar
24 Green Onions (3 bunches) finely chopped
2 medium onions
2 kiwi (peeled)
12 cloves fresh Garlic (crushed with a garlic press)
1½ tsp ground White Pepper
½ crushed dried Habanero Pepper
1 cup rice wine (Saki)
I have discovered
that there are a couple of secrets to making this turn out well. First,
it is important to understand how some of the ingredients work together.
The Green onions tend to reduce the saltiness of the soy sauce. The rice
wine (or Saki) and kiwi act as a tenderizer for the meat. Ground white pepper
is not as hot as black pepper, but it leaves a gentle sensation of "hotness"
afterwards. Similarly, the small amount of Habanero pepper also adds to
the heat without making it unpleasant. The dark sesame oil adds a distinctive
"sesame" flavor and keeps the mean moist while grilling. Second,
during the grilling process, it is important to "burn" the sauce.
When the sauce caramelizes, it changes the taste giving the meat a distinctive
zest.
Chop the green onions. Take the bottom part and put it in a food processor.
Add garlic, crushed Haberno, medium onions, and kiwi to the food processor.
puree.
In a 12 quart soup pot, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil,
sesame seeds, brown sugar, finely chopped
green onions, and puree from the food processor. Place on the stove and
(if required) heat over a medium flame, stirring continuously until
the brown sugar is completely dissolved.
Do not allow it to boil. Set aside and let it cool while preparing the
meat.
Though I have tried a number of different cuts - from Chuck Roast to Filet
Mignon - London Broil seems to work best. (Most recently, I have tried
eye-of-round roast with good success.) It already comes in "slabs"
that are about one inch thick, has little fat, and marinades well. Cut
the meat into strips that are about one quarter to one half inch thick by one inch wide
and four to six inches long. For cooking purposes, try to make them as uniform
in thickness as possible. When you have finished preparing the meat,
add the rice wine to the marinade (which should have cooled off by now),
and then add the meat to the marinade. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Heat the grill for 15 minutes on high, then turn it down to medium. Place
the strips of meat on the grill for one to two minutes on each side. When
cooked, the meat should have a faint touch of pink in the middle. During
the grilling process, the sauce should caramelize and turn dark. This
adds to the distinctive flavor. If it does not caramelize, turn up the
heat.
After cooking, let the cooked meat sit for five minutes before serving.
Serve with rice.
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