The weekend is here again! Have you thought of any grilled dishes to enjoy with your family? If not, let TasteVN help you get into the kitchen to showcase your skills by making 2 Korean grilled meat dishes along with a super delicious dipping sauce that you’ll crave for!
1. Korean Grilled Pork Belly
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Preparation
45 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Korean Grilled Pork Belly For 3 people
Pork belly 1 kg Green onions 5 stalks Granulated sugar 40 gr Roasted sesame 30 gr Sesame oil 35 ml Doenjang soybean paste 100 gr Gochujang chili paste 100 gr Soy sauce 60 ml Minced garlic 10 gr Dried chili a little (or Korean chili powder) Fresh vegetables 300 gr (lettuce/ perilla leaves/ mint)
How to choose good pork belly
- The color of good meat is bright pink, not too red and not too pale. If the pork has a pale color, a greenish tint, and a foul smell, then that meat is spoiled, and you should not choose this type of meat.
- Pork that is firm and has high elasticity is good meat. You can test it by pressing your finger into the meat; if it springs back immediately, is not slimy, and does not leak water or juices, then it’s good.
- You should choose pork shoulder or belly that has both lean meat and fat so that your dish is not too dry and not too greasy with too much fat.
Tools needed
Electric grill (or charcoal grill), bowl, spoon,…
How to Prepare Korean Grilled Pork Belly
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Prepare the Ingredients
Slice 4 green onions horizontally and soak them in cold water for at least 5 minutes to reduce the sharpness. The remaining green onion should be chopped finely vertically.
Wash the fresh herbs, soak them in a bit of diluted salt water for about 5 minutes, then take them out and let them drain.
Clean the pork belly and cut it into equal long pieces, about 2 – 3cm thick for a good bite.
How to Clean Pork Belly Without Smell:
- To completely eliminate the odor of pork, before cooking, briefly dip the meat in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then take it out and rinse with cold water.
- Another useful tip is to add a little white wine to the blanching water for the pork. The wine effectively removes the smell.
Note on Marinating the Meat:
Traditional Korean grilled pork belly dishes often do not marinate the meat but grill it directly and serve it with sauce. So in this pork belly recipe, if you want to marinate the meat for a richer flavor, you can prepare the marinade as follows:
- Blend 100g of peeled pear with 100g of peeled onion, 15g of ginger, and 15g of garlic.
- Then, add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 2 tablespoons of Doenjang (fermented soybean paste), 3 tablespoons of gochujang (Korean chili paste), and 4 tablespoons of oyster sauce. Mix well, and you have the marinade for the pork belly.
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Make sweet and sour pickled onions
In a bowl, add 20g of granulated sugar, 15g of roasted sesame seeds, 20ml of sesame oil, 60ml of soy sauce, and a little dried chili (or Korean chili powder). Stir well and then add the thinly sliced green onions that have been soaked in, mix well again and it’s done.
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Make ssamjang dipping sauce (if desired)
Add 1 chopped green onion to a bowl along with 10g of minced garlic, 100g of Doenjang soybean paste, 100g of Gochujang chili paste, 15ml of sesame oil, 20g of sugar, and 15g of roasted sesame seeds. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
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Final Product
Once everything is prepared, just lay out all the ingredients on the table and enjoy this Korean grilled pork belly dish!
It’s most delicious when you grill and eat at the same time, right? Place a piece of pork belly on the grill, wait about 3 – 5 minutes, then flip the meat and cut it into smaller pieces for easy wrapping with vegetables! Dip the wrapped meat in the super delicious ssamjang sauce, and I guarantee everyone will praise it!
2. Korean Grilled Beef
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Korean Grilled Beef For 2 people
Beef 500 gr Onion 1 bulb Ginger 30 gr Pear 300 gr Garlic 25 gr Sugar 25 gr Sesame oil 20 ml Soy sauce 125 ml Fresh vegetables 300 gr (lettuce/ perilla leaves/ mint) Shiitake mushrooms 200 gr (fresh or dried as desired)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose delicious grilled beef
- To get the best grilled beef, choose beef that is bright red with white marbling. When pressed, the meat should be springy, not sticky, and have no unpleasant odor.
- For grilling, select tenderloin beef with a bit of fat, as it will be more fragrant and tender when grilled.
How to choose delicious sweet pears
- Choose pears with fresh skin, a moderate red color that is not too dark, and the skin should not be wrinkled.
- Prefer pears with stems still tightly attached to the fruit.
- Fresh pear skin will always be smooth, without bruises or damage.
- Choose pears that are not too hard or too soft when pressed, as if they are too hard they are not fully ripe, and if they are too soft, they have been ripe for too long and will not taste good.
How to choose delicious shiitake mushrooms
For dried shiitake mushrooms: The shape of dried shiitake mushrooms is similar to fresh shiitake mushrooms, but they are dried so they are lighter in weight, so choose mushrooms that are not broken and the caps have a light brown color (there is basically no significant color change when the mushrooms are dried). In particular, you need to pay attention to the smell, which should not be musty or have an unusual odor, and the mushrooms should not have any white mold spots.
For fresh shiitake mushrooms: Fresh shiitake mushrooms look like an umbrella and should not be bruised. You should choose mushrooms of moderate size, with short stems, tightly capped, and a slightly brownish-yellow color. It is advisable to avoid caps with dark brown colors as they may be poisonous; however, you should also be flexible in your selection, as fresh shiitake mushrooms will typically become darker when cooked. Additionally, there is a distinctive, natural aroma of the mushrooms.
Tools needed
Electric grill (or charcoal grill), bowl, spoon, blender,…
How to Prepare Korean Grilled Beef
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Prepare the Beef
Wash the beef thoroughly, slice it into bite-sized pieces, about 0.5 – 1cm thick
Tips for Cleaning Beef Properly, Without Smell:
- For thinly sliced beef: You should not clean or wash the beef too thoroughly, as this will cause some nutrients in the beef to dissolve in water and be lost during the cooking process.
- For whole cuts of beef: You can use white wine, ginger, salt, lemon or vinegar, then rub it onto the meat and let it sit for about 5 – 10 minutes before rinsing it clean with water.
Tips for Cutting Beef Without Toughness:
- When cutting beef, you just need to slice it thinly and cut across the grain of the meat.
- You can place the beef in the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes, which helps the meat firm up and be easier to cut.
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Prepare Other Ingredients
Peel the onion, soak the whole bulb in cold water for about 5 minutes to reduce its pungency, then chop it finely.
See details: 10 Tips for Cutting Onions Without TearsThe pear should be washed, peeled, and the seeds and stem removed, then cut into small pieces. Do the same with ginger and garlic.
For shiitake mushrooms, if you buy the dried ones, soak them in warm water (about 60 – 70 degrees Celsius) for about 7 – 10 minutes until fully expanded. If you buy fresh mushrooms, remove the dirty part at the base, then soak them in diluted salt water for 2 minutes.
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Make the meat marinade
Put all the chopped ingredients including onion, pear, ginger, and garlic into a blender.
Next, add 25g of sugar, 20ml of sesame oil, and 125ml of soy sauce to the blender. Close the lid and turn on the machine, blending the ingredients until they form a thick, homogeneous mixture.
Tip: You should watch and turn off the machine when the mixture thickens. Avoid blending too long, as it will make the ingredients mushy, resulting in a thin mixture that won’t be tasty when marinating the meat!
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Marinating the meat
Pour the marinade that you just blended over the plate containing the prepared beef, you can add a little chopped green onion on top (if desired) and let it sit for at least 30 minutes for the meat to absorb the spices.
Tip: If you have time, you should cover the plate of beef and let it sit overnight; this way, the meat will be even more delicious when grilled!
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Final product
After the meat has absorbed the spices, it’s time to arrange the vegetables and meat on the table, let’s grill the meat now!
Add a little sesame oil to the electric grill so that the meat won’t stick to it. Grill for about 5 – 7 minutes, making sure to turn it evenly for the meat to cook well.
The grilled beef absorbs the characteristic marinade, is tender and fragrant, and is piping hot. Wrap a piece of meat with a little vegetable and mushroom to make it less greasy. It truly is a very attractive meal, isn’t it!
3. Korean Grilled Meat Dipping Sauce
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Korean Grilled Meat Dipping Sauce Serves 2
Garlic 7 cloves Fresh Chili 2 pieces Roasted Sesame 1 teaspoon Korean Chili Sauce 2 tablespoons Korean Soybean Paste 2 tablespoons Honey 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce 1 tablespoon Corn Syrup 6 tablespoons Oyster Sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil 1 tablespoon Ground Pepper 1 tablespoon
Where to buy Korean chili sauce and Korean soybean paste?
- Currently, Korean chili sauce and Korean soybean paste are sold very commonly. You can buy them directly at grocery stores or supermarkets near your home.
- Additionally, you can order online through e-commerce sites or you can also buy Korean chili sauce, Korean soybean paste at TasteVN.
How to make Korean grilled meat dipping sauce
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Prepare the ingredients
Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash and finely chop the chili.
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Making dipping sauce for grilled meat
You place a pan on the stove, add 1 spoon of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up and then add minced garlic to sauté until fragrant.
Next, you add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of Korean soybean paste, 2 tablespoons of Korean chili sauce, 6 tablespoons of water, 6 tablespoons of corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon of ground pepper.
You wait for the soy sauce mixture to boil, then reduce the heat and cook for another 3 minutes, finally adding chopped chili and 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame, stir well, season to taste, then turn off the heat.
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Final product
This Korean dipping sauce for grilled meat can be used with all Korean grilled meat dishes.
The sauce is thick, with a spicy flavor from the chili mixed with the fragrant roasted sesame and a beautiful red color that looks very appetizing. It pairs perfectly with Korean grilled dishes!
How to eat Korean grilled meat the right way:
- For grilled meat dishes, you can usually grill using charcoal for a better flavor. However, nowadays various types of grills can also cook meat deliciously and conveniently. So, you can consider choosing a grilling method based on your personal preferences and those of your family.
- When watching Korean movies, you will surely notice that people use their hands to wrap vegetables with grilled meat, dip in sauce, and eat it all in one roll. This is not a coincidence but a feature of Korean grilled meat culture.
- To have authentic Korean grilled meat, besides marinating the meat and making dipping sauce, side dishes that help prevent greasiness are indispensable, including: napa cabbage kimchi, onion kimchi, mustard greens, perilla leaves, lettuce, mint, pickled radish, pickled cucumber, green chili, pickled garlic, purple cabbage salad,…
- In addition, on the Korean grilled meat table, various types of rice wines such as Soju, Makgeolli,… Eating a piece of meat and drinking a glass of rice wine will enhance the flavor of the meat immensely.
See more:
So, the 2 Korean grilled dishes along with the super delicious dipping sauce are ready! This weekend, show off your skills and make them for the whole family to enjoy. Wishing you success!
*Source of the recipe and images from the YouTube channel Culinary Frank and Han Mirae TV
