It is nice for your palate to enjoy a different taste from another country’s cuisine from time to time. In this case, try various rich dishes from Korea because even their barbecue has a distinct and unique flavor.
No, you no longer need to go far because below is everything you need to know to make an awesome Korean barbecue at home.
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What is Korean BBQ?
Korean barbecue is similar to your typical barbecue events such that grilling meat is involved. However, it is notable that a Korean barbecue is made more joyful with the immense amount of meat that you can consume, as well as a whole lot of chili.
The great thing about Korean barbecue is that you can have this indoors too because seldom do Korean barbecue involve smoking. What you will get instead is lots of side dishes for you to enjoy plus a bit of alcohol too if you must.
Common Dishes
Bulgogi
The classic marinade for Korean bulgogi is composed of a few ingredients which include soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, as well as garlic.
The key to making perfect bulgogi for barbecue is finding the right balance between the saltiness of the marinade and its sweetness. In this case, you can grate some Korean pear to enhance the flavor of the meat.
Kalbi
You can use several ingredients to tenderize short ribs, which are often tough cuts of meat. For instance, you can use kiwi, pineapples, as well as cola, but Koreans use Asian pear along with some grated onions and a bit of alcohol.
In case you find it hard to find Asian pear, then you can use some apples instead. For the best barbecue results, grill kalbi over charcoal because the smoky flavor will enhance the taste of the meat more.
Samgyupsal
Another favorite barbecue recipe is one wherein pork belly is involved. In this case, you can begin grilling the meat even without marinade. In case you need to grill large pieces, you can use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut through it.
Cooking Set up
Regardless of the particular barbecue recipe you go for, you need to set up your gear, ready for smoking indoors or outdoors.
In case you want to emulate restaurants serving savory barbecue dishes indoors, you need to invest in a Korean BBQ grill like these that may even come with a hotpot.
You can even get a grill pan with a gas stove or go for one with a charcoal option which is already suitable for an outdoor setup.
As soon as you have your grill properly set up, then the rest is just preparing the meat that you need to cook, as well as the banchan or all the sides that come with Korean barbecue.
Ingredients
The ingredients that you need may vary depending on the particular barbecue dish that you want to prepare, as well as the meat that you intend to use.
Nevertheless, the staples include the meat that you will grill, the vegetables that you prefer for your banchan, as well as the spices that you will need to make the sauces, and those which you will use for the marinade.
As soon as you create a shopping list and gather all that you need, the next step is in marinating your meat.
Marinade
Marinating the meat that you will grill is one of the most important steps in grilling because your marinade will be able to bring out the full flavor of the meat.
However, there are certain meat cuts that no longer need to be marinated, only seasoned. In this case, the flavor of the meat will be enhanced by the sauce that you create for your barbecue dishes.
If you intend to make your marinade you can use a blender or a food processor to intricately infuse all the spices together. Otherwise, you can simply shop for ready-made marinade mixes.
From there, make sure to leave your meat marinated overnight for more favorable results.
Meat
There are several types of meat that you can grill, with the most popular one being the beef ribs, or in Korean, kalbi.
You can also go for pork belly or chicken which is more popularly known as samgyupsal and dak respectively. There is also the option for you to go with bulgogi or a thinly sliced marinated beef but a regular grill won’t work well with this type of meat.
Banchan Assembly
While it is true that the meat is the star of your Korean barbecue, the side dishes, or your banchan assembly, play a vital role in giving you an authentic Korean experience.
In this case, you can go to your favorite Korean deli where they will most likely have an unlimited banchan supply.
Nevertheless, if you decide to make the side dishes on your own, then grab some vegetables such as eggplants, sweet potatoes, and cucumber. Alongside this, make sure to have some sesame oil and garlic readily available.
Eating Area
For indoor grilling, your grill pan is usually placed at the center of the table where everyone will be able to easily put in the meat they intend to grill.
Make sure to surround the grill with a wide variety of meat that you have for grilling.
It is a good idea to serve each of your guests or household members with a portion of the banchan you have prepared but in case your table space is limited, going for a buffet-style serving is also a great idea.
Korean barbecue is also never without some alcohol, so make sure to prepare some soju too.
To wrap things up, go on and explore various dishes that you can make at home, even dishes from the cuisine of other countries such as Korean barbecue.
Not only will this entice your taste buds, but this is also a good way to spend quality time with the people that you care about the most.
Once you get the hang of it, for sure you will be on your way to trying other Korean dishes that you will surely enjoy.