John's original recipes

Korean BBQ Rib (Kalbi) Makes 4lbs (Approximately for 7-8 servings)
This dish isn't as spicy as other korean food and has sweet, garlicky flavor. Sake and kiwi juice in the marinade will tenderizes the meat, so even when you cook it well-done, the meat will still melt in your mouth.

Ingredients
  • Kalbi Marinade (see the recipe below)
  • 4 lbs of Boneless Short Ribs, (about 1/2 inch thick slices)
Kalbi Marinade
  • 1 1/2 cup of soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 3/4 cup of sake
  • 1 medium-sized onion, pureed
  • 1/2 kiwi, pureed (I learned that kiwi tenderizes the meat)
  • 1 Tbs of sliced ginger
  • 1 1/2 Tbs of garlic powder (or 7 large garlic cloves, minced)
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large mixing bowl, until the sugar has been dissolved. I like using garlic powder because it has stronger flavor than fresh garlic. If you use garlic cloves, boil the minced garlic in the soysauce with about 1 Tbs of water for about 1 minute.
Be careful not to put the whole kiwi just because you don't have any other use for the leftover kiwi. Too much kiwi will make the meat so tender that there isn't gonna be any texture left in your meat.
Put the meat in the mixing bowl and arrange the meat so that they are immersed in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but not over 2 days.
The meat will taste best if they are grilled. In Korea, people cook the meat in the middle of the dining table over a basket of hot coals. If you do not own a grill, however, it can be also broiled in the oven. Cook until the meat is medium-welldone to welldone.
Korean people like to make a lettuce wrap with Kalbi. The following is for the wraps.

Ingredients for wraps
  • 1 large head of red-leaf lettuce
  • 1 Tbs ssamjang (it's a half-and-half mixture of Korean chilli paste, gochujang, and soy bean paste, dwenjang).
  • 2 medium-sized onions, julienned
  • 3 green onions, julienned (about 2 inches long)
  • 1/2 cup of soy sauce
  • 1 Tbs of vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 2 Tbs of sugar
Mix all the ingredients except the lettuce and ssamjang until the sugar has been dissolved.
In a piece of lettuce, wrap a small spoonful of rice and about 2 inch piece of kalbi and about a spoonful of the onion mix.