Korean barbecue is a delicious way to liven up your backyard parties this summer.
Summer is a great time for firing up the grill and having a backyard barbecue. But instead of relying on the same old tired American staples, why not try something new? Korean barbecue is a delicious way to liven up your backyard parties this summer. Here is all that you need to know about this fantastic style of cooking.
Galbi
Galbi is hugely popular, and you might recognize it as Korean short rib. These are beef ribs slathered in a delicious and sweet marinade. When you’re eating galbi, you’re encouraged to grab the meat by the bones with your hands. Cold buckwheat noodles make an excellent accompaniment to galbi, with the two flavors in a delicate dance that is sure to delight your taste buds.
Bulgogi
Bulgogi is another iconic beef dish. Thin-sliced sirloin is used to make the bulgogi, which in Korean, means “fire meat.” It’s called fire meat because of the way it is traditionally prepared – using a gridiron directly over an open flame. Even though this is the traditional way, cooking bulgogi on a stovetop is an acceptable method as well. Soy sauce is used as the base for the marinade, and the dish itself is incredibly easy to prepare, and best of all, it pairs with everything well. A variant of bulgogi, the bulgogi burger, is a standard menu item at certain golden-arched fast food restaurants all over South Korea.
Did you know bulgogi can also be made with pork? While beef bulgogi is typically served non-spicy, pork bulgogi is the opposite. The same soy sauce marinade is used for the pork, but it is kicked up a notch with hot pepper paste added into the mix. Pork bulgogi is made from pork shoulder, but you can also use pork belly or pork loin, too.
Beef Brisket
Beef brisket is the first of two barbecue dishes that can be served without any marinade. Beef brisket is supposed to be thinly-sliced before it is cooked. Because of how thin it is, it will cook more quickly. However, even if it is thawed, it is meant to be partially frozen once it’s finished with cooking. Once it has cooked, it should be eaten right away for maximum flavor. Don’t overcook it, though; overcooked brisket becomes tough to chew, and its stringy texture will be unpleasant. Although it’s already flavorful, you can always boost the flavor by including a dipping sauce of sesame oil and salt.
Pork Belly
Pork belly is the second of two Korean barbecue dishes you can enjoy without marinade. But here’s something you may not know: pork belly is simply unsalted and uncured bacon. Serve it up with some grilled kimchi to add an impressive element of heat!
Get All Your Asian Groceries at Lotte Plaza Market
Lotte Plaza Market is your one-stop shop for all of your Korean and Asian grocery needs. With more than 10 locations in Maryland and Virginia, this growing market is always expanding and opening new markets to better serve our customers. Opened since 1976, our goal has always been to provide the best customer service and groceries to our customers. For answers to all of your questions, email us at LottePlaza.com.