Bo Ssam - Steamed Pork Wrapped in Leaves - 보쌈

Bossam is a type of ssam in Korean cuisine in which steamed pork is wrapped in a leaf vegetable such as red lettuce or sesame leaf, often accompanied by a condiment known as ssamjang. It is usually topped with raw or cooked garlic, onion, pepper, or, most commonly, sweet kimchi. Bossam is also preferred to be eaten with saeujeot (pickled fermented shrimp).

Bossam is a popular dish in Korea, and can also be served as an anju (side dish consumed while drinking soju).

Bul Dak - Hot & Spicy Chicken - 불닭

Buldak is a spicy chicken dish that is becoming very popular amongst the younger generation of Koreans everywhere. Its popularity has been attributed to both its unique flavors and spiciness. Keep in mind, the term bul means fire in Korean and dak is chicken, so it can get quite spicy in taste.

Many restaurants that specialize in buldak have been created due to the growing popularity as this dish is considered fairly new. Most restaurants that serve this dish offer various levels of spiciness that one can choose from and there are usually fresh vegetables served with this dish to blend in the taste. Cubed-cut sweet radishes along with salad and onions are usually popular.

An order of buldak can be served on a platter of bite-sized morsels of chicken breasts or sometimes in combinations of wings or drumsticks. While the flavor and degree of hotness differs a little from place to place, it is marinated with a hot & sweet sauce, grilled over an open fire, and then served over a sizzling skillet, topped with herbs. It’s usually enjoyed as an appetizer while drinking a cold beer or soju at popular bars or restaurants.

Recipe Ingredients: Chicken Preparation

• 6 chicken drum sticks (de-boned) or 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp traditional corn syrup (substitution honey)
• 2 tbsp cheong ju (clear rice wine similar to Japanese sake)
• 1 stalk green onion
• Black pepper ground to taste
• Olive oil
• Roasted sesame seeds (optional)

Recipe Ingredients: Marinating Sauce

• 3 tbsp kochukaru (red chili pepper flakes)
• 2 jalapenos
• ½ cup Korean pear (substitution Asian pear)
• ¼ onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp spicy yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp mul yut (substitution honey)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Rinse chicken drum sticks in cold water and de-done meat with a sharp knife. Cut into 4 even pieces per leg drum -OR- rinse chicken breasts in cold water and cut into bite-size pieces
2. In a large bowl, mix chicken with soy sauce, sugar, mul yut (substitution honey), cheong ju and ground pepper.
3. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Puree all marinating sauce ingredients together in a blender. Once completed, leave aside for later use.
5. On a non-stick frying pan or skillet, cook prepared chicken over medium heat until meat is just short of desired completion.
6. Take out chicken only and leave excess ingredients in frying pan or skillet.
7. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix chicken with blended sauce from steps 2 & 3.
8. In the same frying pan or skillet, add olive oil to taste and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes in medium high heat.
9. Serve hot on plate.

Sam Gyup Sal - Grilled Pork Strips - 삼겹살

 

Samgyupsal is another popular Korean meat dish. It consists of thick pork strips, served in the same fashion as galbi but there is no marinating involved.  Sometimes it is cooked on a grill with kimchi, mushrooms, garlic, onions and consumed altogether. This dish is usually served with a side of lettuce, spinach, or other leafy vegetable(s), which is used to wrap a slice of cooked samgyupsal. A dab of ssamjang (usually made of kochujang or dwenjang), kimchi, or other side dishes are also added and then eaten as a whole.

Bi Bim Bop - Beef & Mixed Vegetable Rice - 비빔밥

Bibimbop literally means mixed rice or mixed meal in Korean. It's a popular meal consisting of a bowl of steamed white rice topped with vegetables, beef, a whole egg, and kochujang (red chili pepper paste). Kochujang is usually served separately to control its spiciness of this rice dish.

A variation of this dish, dolsot bibimbop (dolsot meaning stone pot) is served in a heated stone bowl, in which a raw egg is cooked against the sides of the bowl. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil; consequently, the portion of the rice touching the bowl becomes golden brown and crispy.

Vegetables commonly used in bibimbop include julienne cucumber, zucchini, carrot, white radish, mushrooms, bellflower root, and laver. It may also contain spinach, soybean sprouts, and bracken fern stems. Tofu, either plain or sautéed, may also be included in the dish as well. Within both types of bibimbops, all ingredients are typically stirred together thoroughly before eating.

Recipe Ingredients

• ¼ lb chopped beef (ground beef is acceptable)
• 1 cup bellflower roots (doraji)
• ½ cup bean sprouts
• 1 lettuce leaf
• 3 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 sheet of vegetable jelly
• ⅓ carrot
• 1 cucumber
• 1 egg
• 3 cups short-grain rice
• 4 tbsp kochujang
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• i tsp sesame oil

Cooking Directions

1. Wash 3 cups of rice, soak for 30 minutes and drain. Put the rice in a thick cooker and add 1 cup of water, then bring them to a boil. After 10-15 minutes boiling, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes. Do not lift the lid while cooking.
2. Season beef and stir-fry lightly until cooked.
3. Cut cucumbers, carrots and shitake mushrooms into match stick size and shred bellflower roots (doraji) and lettuce leaf. Squeeze out excess water and sprinkle them with salt (not including lettuce leaf).
4. Add 1 tsp of sesame oil to hot frying pan and stir-fry the cucumber quickly so the color stays vivid. Spread them on a big plate to cool. Add more sesame oil, then stir-fry bellflower roots, carrots, and mushrooms consecutively.
5. Place cooked rice in a deep dish and add the prepared ingredients on top of the rice (*for hot stone dolsot bibimbop, heat the stone pot until hot enough to burn the fingers and coat 2 tsp of sesame oil. Place the rice sizzling right into the hot stone pot).
6. Fry an egg sunny-side-up in a frying pan and place it on top of the dish (*for hot stone dolsot bibimbop, place the raw egg on the side of the hot pot so it can slightly cook).
7. To make seasoned kochujang paste, combine kochujang, sugar, sesame seeds and sesame oil. Mix all ingredients well.
8. Add seasoned kochujang to taste and mix it thoroughly with rice and vegetables before eating.

Sam Gye Tang - Chicken Soup with Ginseng - 삼계탕

Samgyetang, sometimes called chicken ginseng soup, is an energizing soup-based dish. It is traditionally served during the summer for its nutrients which can easily be lost through excessive sweating and physical exertion during the hot summer. Commonly, a whole chicken is boiled in a broth with Korean ginseng, dried jujube fruits, garlic, ginger and glutinous rice. Spicy red chili pepper paste (kochujang) can be added to enrich its flavors and taste to one's preference. Like the chicken soup, which is considered to help common sickness, samgyetang is also known be cure physical ailments and prevent sickness as well.

Recipe Ingredients (Yield : 6 servings)

• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 8 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger, finely grated
• ½ cup rice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1-2 tsp of hot chili paste (kochujang)
• 1 whole chicken (3-5 oz) or 1 cup of shredded cooked chicken
• 2 scallions, finely chopped

Cooking Directions

1. In small dry skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium-high heat, shaking often, until lightly browned and aromatic, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and set aside.
2. In large pot, combine chicken broth, garlic and ginger; bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil; add chili paste to taste. Add chicken and heat until just warmed through.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with scallions and the reserved sesame seeds.

Bul gogi - Grilled Marinated Beef - 불고기

Bulgogi is one of Korea's most popular beef dishes. It is made from thinly sliced sirloin or another prime cut of beef (rib eye) and it is usually marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, garlic, onions, ginger, wine and sugar. It’s marinated for two to four hours to enhance the flavor and its tenderization.

Bulgogi is traditionally grilled but broiling or pan-cooking is common as well. Whole cloves of garlic, sliced onions, and chopped green peppers are often grilled or cooked at the same time. It is often served to non-Koreans as a first taste of Korean cuisine.

This dish is usually served with a side of lettuce, spinach, or other leafy vegetable, which is used to wrap a slice of cooked meat, often times along with a dab of ssamjang, kimchi, or other side dishes, and then eaten as a whole.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb thinly sliced beef (sirloin or rib eye)
• 5 tbsp sugar
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 2 buds finely chopped garlic (can be crushed but remove buds before serving)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 tbsp Mirin (sweet sake, optional)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup split green onions
• 2 cups thinly sliced carrots (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except carrots. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. Cook over medium high heat until meat is just short of desired completion.
3. Add carrots and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4. Serve with rice.

So Gal Bi - Grilled Beef Short Ribs - 소갈비

Galbi is a very popular Korean meat dish made from beef short ribs. The ribs are marinated in a sauce made from Korean pear juice, rice wine, soy sauce, garlic, sesame seed oil and sugar. Most recipes contain these basic ingredients but many variations exists from sweet to spicier marinades.

The meat itself is often cut in the L.A. rib style, which is basically a rack of ribs cut in thin slices across the bones. This makes eating galbi easier with chopsticks or with fingers. Galbi is usually available in most Korean restaurants but it is generally served in venues that specialize in galbi and the meat is cooked on an in-table BBQ.

This dish is usually served with a side of lettuce, spinach, or other leafy vegetable, which is used to wrap a slice of cooked meat, often times along with a dab of ssamjang, kimchi, or other side dishes, and then eaten as a whole.

Recipe Ingredients

• 16 ribs
• 1 cup soy sauce
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 Asian pear, chopped (or ½ Korean pear)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp juice of ginger

Cooking Directions

1. Wash meat. Rarely but sometimes you can find tiny bone scraps stick to the meat. Soak in water for 1 hour, drain.
2. In a food processor, add chopped onion and pear, purée finely. Pour out to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir.
3. Marinate beef for 8-10 hours or overnight for optimal taste. They cook fairly fast, 2-3 minutes on one side.
4. Traditionally, it is grilled with a wood charcoal but certainly you can grill on a gas stove or outdoor grill.

Dooboo Kimchi - Tofu w/ Fermented Cabbage - 두부김치

Dooboo Kimchi is a popular appetizer or anjoo (side dish; often in reference to a side dish consumed with alcohol) that is popular while drinking Korean soju.  It’s a very simple dish that consists of boiled tofu, kimchi and some meat (optional).  Tofu is usually placed alongside kimchi as they are eaten together as a whole.

Serving presentation may differ from various restaurants, including Korean bars, but kimchi is normally placed in the center of a plate with tofu slices around the perimeter. To eat, kimchi can be placed on top of the tofu and washed down with a shot of soju, thereafter.  The meat ingredient can include beef or pork strips (samgyupsal) but it can be left out to be severed as the perfect vegetarian dish. Lastly, it is garnished with chopped green onions for its final touch.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 package dooboo
• 1½ cups aged kimchi
• ¼ lb beef pork (thin strip)
• 1 tbsp kochukaru (red chili pepper flakes)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 green onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. In a pot, fill enough water to cover the whole block of tofu and bring it to boil.
2. Add some salt and boil tofu for 5-7 minutes.
3. Drain well, cut in half and slice ½ inch thick. Keep it warm.
4. Sauté garlic in vegetable oil and add beef.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. To prepare kimchi ingredient, chop and drain well.
7. Add kimchi, red chili pepper flakes, and soy sauce. Cook for 4-5 minutes and add sesame oil.
8. On a plate, put kimchi in the center and cubicle tofu pieces on the side or around the perimeter of the plate.
9. Sprinkle chopped green onions for garnish.

Man Doo - Korean Dumpling - 만두

Mandoo is a Korean dumpling consisting of minced meat and vegetables wrapped in a thin piece of dough. Popular meat fillings include shrimp, ground beef, pork or fish. And popular vegetables ingredients can include bean sprouts, green onions, shredded kimchi and much more.

Korean mandoo can be cooked in several ways: simmered in beef stock, steamed or fried.  It is usually dipped in soy sauce mixed with vinegar and served with kimchi on the side.  Crushed or powder red peppers can be added to the mixture of sauces to add an extra kick.  Traditionally, mandoo dumplings were made at home but nowadays, it is readily available in Asian supermarkets and/or convenience stores in the frozen foods section.

Mandoo is usually enjoyed as an appetizer or as a snack but almost all Korean families prepares this dish on the first day of any New Year by simmering mandoo's in a beef stock to make mandoo-guk.

Gim bop - Korean Style Sushi Roll - 김밥

Gimbop is considered one of the most popular and nutritious Korean meal. It consists of rice and strips of vegetables, egg, and meat, rolled in laver (dried seaweed) and sliced. This is a popular snack or lunch that can be made with infinite variety of ingredients, using different kinds of meat and/or vegetables. Popular ones include bulgogi, spinach, pickled radish, and eggs. At first glance, gimbop often resembles a Japanese maki or a sushi roll. However, there are a few differences between the Japanese sushi roll and the Korean-style gimbop. The main difference is that Japanese sushi rolls are rather minimal in ingredients. Sushi rolls usually consists of just tuna or salmon within the roll whereas gimbop contains a variety of ingredients as mentioned earlier. Also, while the Japanese use raw fish (sashimi) in their sushi rolls, Korean gimbop do not contain any raw fish. Lastly, Japanese sushi is often dipped in wasabi while gimbop usually has sesame oil. Korean 101: Gim refers to the sheets of dried seaweed, and bop is the Korean word for cooked rice. Recipe Ingredients 1 bunch spinach, steamed 2 carrots, cut in long thin strips 1  yellow pickled radish, cut in long thin strips 2 tbsp vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 1 piece thick sliced ham or Spam, cut in long thin strips and fried 1 egg, fried like omelet and cut in long thin strips 3 cups of cooked rice 1 tbsp sesame seeds 2 tsp sesame oil 1 package roasted seaweed sheets Cooking Directions Stir fry carrots with salt and pepper. Mix radish with vinegar and sugar. Mix rice with the sesame seeds and sesame oil. Place one seaweed sheet on a bamboo sheet.  Put rice on half of the sheet and add 2 pieces of spinach, 1 carrot strip, 1 radish strip, 1 ham strip, 1 egg strip on top of rice.  Roll in a log and squeeze tight.  Use some rice to stick the seaweed together to keep it rolled. Place a little sesame oil in your hands and rub it on the seaweed roll. Put a little sesame oil on knife to cut roll.