Korean Beef Skewers, AKA Cara Beef, from Cara

Ingredients

• 6  tablespoons  less-sodium soy sauce
• 1/3  cup  sugar
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  sambal oelek (chile paste, such as Huy Fong)
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (1-pound) top sirloin steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
• 1/2  cup  water
• 8  ounces  wide rice sticks
• 3  tablespoons  thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a zip-top bag. Add beef to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag; reserve marinade. Thread steak evenly onto 8 (8-inch) skewers. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Combine reserved marinade and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute.
3. Soak noodles in boiling water until tender; drain. Place noodles in a large bowl. Pour reserved marinade mixture over noodles; sprinkle with onions; toss. Serve with skewers.

Note from Cara: I just looked at my Korean Beef recipe and realized that I didn't add the sugar when I made it last night. It was delicious anyway and I don't think I would use it next time. Maybe if the things were grilled it would help them to caramelize or something, but for stir fry it was fine without.

Korean-style Bulgogi, from Rachael

Korean-style Bulgogi

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sambal
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 lb ribeye steaks, cut into 1.4 inch strips
salt and pepper
sliced scallions
toasted sesame seeds

Preheat grill to high. Simmer sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and sambal together in small saucepan over high heat.

Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl, then whisk into sauce.

Return mixture to a boil and simmer 1 minute; remove from heat, set aside.

Season ribeye strips with salt and pepper; grill two minutes per side, then toss in two tablespoons dipping sauce.

Arrange strips on two plates and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

I have not been able to find sambal. I am going to try the recipe without it and know that it would probably be better. I happen to have everything else on hand so want to try it anyway.

Cook's Note:
The bulgogi got mixed reviews. My husband gave it two thumbs up but I wouldn't make it again. The sauce just wasn't my thing. I think it was the sesame oil.

Gimbap, from Sue

Gimbap

*These should look like sushi rolls using the same seaweed, rice and rolling technique, but the ingredients are different*

Ingredients:

*This serves 2 people but gives you an idea about what it is and how to make it*

• 4 sheets Sushi Seaweed
• Steamed rice for 2 people
• 4 Takuwon strips http://www.easterndragon.co.nz/2430.htm
• meat the same preparation as in the Japchae
• 1 cucumber
• 3 stalks of spinach
• 1/5 a carrot
• 3 eggs
• Some sesame oil
• Some salt

Preparation (It will take about 15 minutes)

1. Cut the carrots into long thin slices. (I need 6 sticks.)
2. Rinse the spinach and parboil it in boiled water. (For 1 minute)
3. Put the spinach into a bowl. Add 2 sprinkles of salt and 1 dash of sesame oil on spinach then mix it well.
4. Beat one egg in a bowl. Fry the egg in a pan and make the egg stick by rolling it. (It is better if you can make it thin.) Do the same with rest of the eggs.
5. Cook the carrots, with a little oil.
6. Slice cucumber to sushi length like Carrots.
7. Put all the ingredients on one plate. It makes it easy to roll.
8. Add 2 dashes of sesame oil and 2 sprinkles of salt on the rice. Mix it well.
9. During the process of no 4 and 5 use the same pan, don't rinse or wash it.

Making (It will take about 10 minutes)

1. Place one sheet of seaweed on the bamboo mat.
2. Put the rice on the sheet. You need to spread it thinly.
3. Put carrot stick, meat, takuwon, egg stick (all one each), and some spinach in the middle of the rice.
4. Roll it.

Japchae, from Sue

I realize that there are no measurements, but everyone makes it differently so I figure a little trial & error never hurt. I got this from my MIL who is a great cook.

Japchae

Ingredients:

Shiitake mushroom

Spinach

Carrots

Garlic

Meat

Soba sauce (see below)

Sesame Oil

Olive Oil

Cane Sugar

Yellow Onions

Soy Sauce

Preparation:

Chop Shiitake into slivers w/out the stem

Parboil Spinach and rinse in cold water

Finely julienne carrots

Mince 6 cloves of garlic w/ a little water

Finely shred meat into long pieces

Mix meat, garlic, sesame oil, olive oil, soba sauce and cane sugar.

Soak Glass vermicelli noodles overnight and add a little Soy Sauce for color.

Slice 1 yellow onion thinly

Slice Spinach

Fry meat mixture

Add Mushrooms when meat is half cooked

Add a little Olive Oil to frying pan

Take meat and put it on a plate

Fry Carrots and Onions w/ a little Olive Oil

Add Spinach after a couple of minutes (keep separate in pan)

Top Meat w/ Spinach

Top w/ Carrots & Onions

Fry glass noodles in a little oil

Add water sparingly (when noodles stick or get crispy)

Mix everything together

SOBA SAUCE

Chicken Stock

Water (same amount as stock)

1 Carrot

1 clove garlic

1 piece of ginger (size of a clove of garlic)

1 tablespoon of Bonito Flakes

1/2 Yellow Onion

Bring everything to a boil and simmer for 30 mins.

Sieve and keep broth (discard ingredients).

Lasts 2 days in fridge.