It’s warm outside again, which means I will find every excuse to light my grills. Kimchi has always been something I have loved eating. Years ago, I played around with recipes and variations for making homemade kimchi. My curious nature led me to learn about its origins and history, and since it is the national dish of South Korea, I had to learn about all the foods from South Korea.

Kimchi is just one of the delicious sides that are served with Korean BBQ. These sides are called banchan, and they are just as fun and delicious as the marinated and grilled meats, sauces, rice and leafy greens that make up the Korean BBQ experience.

When my family visits a restaurant, the meats are always delicious, but we talk about the banchan which made the meal good or great. Our favorite restaurants serve multiple types of kimchi as part of the banchan, and don’t forget about the scallion pancake and the soups. Its all part of the experience and one of my family’s favorite meals.

Of course, I had to make it all at home for my family and it makes a great meal for a gathering. Almost everything can be prepared ahead of time: just make some fresh rice, cook the hot dishes and grill the meats. I think I have used almost every cut of meat imaginable, even a quick version using ground meats. What I end up with is a giant spread of food that is a plethora of flavors and textures that all taste amazing together. I take a little bit of a couple items wrapped in fresh salad greens and pop it into my mouth. Each little combination of ingredients is exciting and different.

My wife’s favorite side dishes are fresh cucumber kimchi and marinated chayote squash. I can’t pick a favorite side dish; they are all just too wonderful. I don’t know why, but I am the designated grill person when we eat at a restaurant. At home I have tried the idea of giving everyone the option to grill their own, but inevitably I cook it all. Now I just grill all the meats at the same time so we can eat together and have a great time. I find I prefer the meats grilled at home because I use charcoal and it gives another layer of flavor, but the restaurants with 10 to 20 side dishes are far more convenient when I have a busy week.

Now that the local farmers’ markets are starting again for the year, it is fun to take the fresh ingredients and experiment making different kimchi, pickles and marinated vegetables and fruits that we can try as banchan. And since we are in the Midwest, there is no shortage of beef, pork, chicken, lamb and even game meats to use in Korean BBQ. I really enjoy the flexibility of the concept and how fun and interactive it can be especially in a social environment amongst friends.

First you tear a bite size piece of lettuce, spread on a little ssamjang sauce, then a little rice, maybe some marinated fresh garlic, followed by one of the kimchi, now a piece or two of the grilled meats, maybe another bit of banchan, dip it into seasoned sesame oil then eat it in one amazing bite! Repeat until you can’t possibly eat another bite.

Korean BBQ marinade

• 1 Asian pear, grated fine
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 medium white onion, sliced thin
• 4 green onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Mix these ingredients together.
2. This is a flavorful marinade that works well with just about any meat. Marinade at least thirty minutes.
3. For tender cuts of meat, omit the pear, or do a very short marinade. Pears have an enzyme that tenderizes meats, and if left too long, can cause the meat to be mushy.
4. Grill, broil or sauté the meat to your preference.
5. Cut meat to bite size pieces with kitchen scissors or knife.

Cucumber kimchi

• 1 seedless cucumber, cut into bite size, I prefer strip shaped cuts over rounds
• 2 tablespoon gochugaru, Korean chili flakes
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 scallions, just the green part, cut to 1 inch pieces

1. Combine everything and let set for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Marinated chayote squash

• 1 chayote squash, peeled and cut into thin bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

1. Combine the water, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil.
2. Pour over the chayote.
3. Let marinade in the fridge at least 24 hours.

About

Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.