Somewhat surprising to all we’ve had a few days of dense morning fog followed by sunshine here in the Puget Sound lowlands. Brisk morning temps around 30 degrees have the natives dressing as if they’re headed to Antarctica.
The afternoon sun has us thinking about grilling. (As I write there are fajitas marinating today alongside this Korean-inspired Grilled Sesame Beef Wrap recipe.)
She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have been agog the vast array of Korean and Japanese food available here in the Pacific Northwest; one of our absolute new favorites has been bool kogi, a traditional marinated Korean beef dish.
There are a hoard of recipes out there to prepare this dish at home and I actually plied this one out of a Korean fly fisher I’ve run into in Gig Harbor.
The caramelized, salty-sweet beef is best served wrapped in a crisp lettuce leaf and highlighted with a fruity dipping sauce (we keep coming back to an Asian Pear sauce….).
Damn the January cold and snow (or rain). It’s bool kogi time.
2 pounds boneless sirloin
1 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark sesame oil
3 tbsp. sake
3 tbsp. sherry
10 cloves garlic, sliced thin
8 scallions (white and green parts) minced
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
Another 12 scallions, trimmedHead of lettuce, separated, rinsed and dried
Dipping sauces (see above)
Roasted or grilled garlic (optional and a tad more authentic they say)
Thin is in. Slice the sirloin across the grain into thin strips about 1/4 inch thick. Place the slices between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to what looks like a very thin 1/8 inch. Place in your favorite marinating bowl.
Make the marinade. Combine the rest of the ingredients (soy sauce, sugar, dark sesame oil, sake, sherry, sliced garlic, scallions and sesame seeds), pour over the meat and mix well. Marinate 2 hours in the fridge. Make your dipping sauces in the mean time.
Grill and go. While heating your grill to high, wash and spin the lettuce leaves dry.
Dip the 12 whole scallions in the marinade and grill for 2 minutes or so per side.
Grill the meat over high heat for 60 to 90 seconds per side – you’re after a deep, rich brown here – not a char; mind these carefully, they cook quickly.
Wrap it up. Pull the meat and immediately serve. Wrap several pieces of meat, a grilled scallion (and roasted garlic if you’ve gone there) in a lettuce leaf, dip and savor the flavors.
Enjoy.
