Monday, July 9, 2012

Independence Day

Nothing says the 4th of July quite like Korean Barbecue.   It's simple really.  You take one Korean-American, marry her off to an Italian boy from Long Island, then plant them in a cul-de-sac with a bunch of Germans, Poles, Irish, and Jews.  Check your politics at the door.  Mix generously with alcohol--preferably from the Napa Valley.  Serve the children--dozens of them--hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and watermelon slices.  Then feed the grown-ups chilled cucumber soup, chim-chi,  pickled radishes, and huge steaming plates of grilled beef and chicken seasoned with spices that Thomas Jefferson only read about in books.  


I'm not sure that 236 years ago the Founding Fathers ever expected that we'd be celebrating their little experiment in self-governance this way, but no matter.  This was a party worthy of America.     


Kalbi – BBQ short rib
By Alana Piccolo

1.    Go to an Asian market and buy two and a half pounds of LA style-cut beef short ribs.   If you've never been, shopping at an Asian market is about as close as an experience as you'll ever get to being beamed onto another planet like the Star Trek gang.   One minute you're standing in the parking lot of a suburban strip mall, and the next, you're smack dab in the middle of a busy South Korean market standing next to a particularly pungent vat of fermenting cabbage.  Not speaking Korean is a distinct disadvantage, but you'll survive. Just be mindful that these aren't Texas-style ribs.  LA style ribs are thinly cut across the bone, so that each piece is a long, thin, strip with 3 bone sections in it.  


2.  Rinse the ribs in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Place ribs in a large bowl or roasting pan.  Peel one kiwi and puree in a food processor with 1 tbsp of cold water.    Add kiwi puree to ribs and massage the meat with the kiwi mixture. 

3.  Mix together the following ingredients in smaller bowl and pour over meat:  6 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, one spring onion cut on the diagonal, 1 Tsp toasted sesame sees, one tsp sugar, fresh black pepper.  Marinate for 3-4 hours.

4.  Cook over a hot grill 5-7 minutes on 1 side and 4 minutes on other.  Serve hot with rice, steamed veggies, or Korean side salads which can also be purchased at your local Asian markets.  But bring this picture with you so you can point to it as you ask in your best Korean:  "DO. YOU. HAVE. THIS?" 

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