Video
Korean barbeque has taken Metro Manila by storm. It has always been popular with Filipinos, but even more so today, and it seems that just about everywhere you look, there’s bound to be a Korean grill nearby. It has become the land of the unlimited, and KBBQ places are often trying to beat each other with the craziest combinations, or the lowest prices. What is it about this culinary phenomenon anyway?
If you try and dissect the trend, it is all about flavor. Korean palates enjoy similar taste profiles to our food, which means we get our favorite combination of sourness and sweetness in their dishes too.
But more so than that, it’s really all about the meat, from galbi to samgyupsal. We love our meat, and Korean barbeque’s famous thinly-sliced pork when crisped up on the grill, is really like no other—the kind of crispy, crunchy goodness that needs Coke.
You can easily achieve this at home, and what’s great is you can do it all under PHP300, and have extra meat, sauces, and sides good enough for another K-BBQ night.
You can also choose to pair it with anything you like—and we all know that Coke is a perfect companion for anything delicious, like this recipe. A tall, cold glass of the amber soda is a welcome break between non-stop bites of pork, kimchi, and rice, and will make this at-home experience even more refreshing.
Ingredients
Sides and Rice
- 1 cup spring onions
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup ssamjang
- 2 cups cooked white rice
Samgyupsal
- 300g samgyupsal
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced in half
- leaves from 1 head lettuce, washed and dried
- 1 cup kimchi
Prepare spring onions: Combine ice cubes and water in a bowl. Slice spring onions lengthwise and shock in the cold water until curled. Drain spring onions and pat dry with paper towels. In another bowl, combine gochujang and rice wine vinegar. Toss spring onions in the mixture. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside.
Prepare sesame oil: Divide sesame oil into two small containers. Season each serving with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Prepare ssamjang: Divide ssamjang between two small serving dishes. Set aside.
Prepare rice: Divide cooked rice between two serving bowls. Set aside.
Set up BBQ: Set up an indoor grill or burner with hot plate at the center of your table. Arrange samgyupsal, lettuce leaves, sliced garlic, and kimchi in separate plates. Place all prepared plates of food around the burner, and prepare tongs, scissors, and a spare empty plate (for cooked meat).
Cook and serve: Grill samgyupsal until cooked through and toasted, using scissors and tongs to assist. Transfer cooked meat onto spare plate or push towards the sides of the grill. Grill garlic as well, if desired.
