summer 2019 real food 47
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his grilling season, skip the same-old fare and “kung fu” your barbecue for a deliciously different taste.
What does a Chinese martial arts term mean when it comes to Korean barbecue? According to award-
winning Chicago restaurateur Bill Kim, who was born in Korea and raised in the American Midwest—and a fan of
Bruce Lee movies—it’s all about adapting and perfecting your skills through hard work, creativity and patience.
Kim, along with Chandra Ram, does a lot of the “kung fu” work for you in his book, “Korean BBQ,” and successfully
shows that you don’t need to have a background in cooking traditional Korean food to create these recipes. Kim
brings the two cultures together and translates the best of Korea’s mystifying sauces and rubs in an approachable
way for home cooking. Kim’s wish is for people to have fun—we’re barbecuing here—so gather friends and family,
hang out, have a good time and eat really delicious food. That’s what life is all about. —Mary Subialka
Honey Soy Flank Steak
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
This is one amazing steak. It’s simple to prepare and
you get maximum flavor in a short period of time.
Flank steak is a lean cut, so be careful you don’t over-
cook it; medium-rare is ideal. Piercing the steak with
a fork before marinating it is key to getting all of the
rich, tangy, sweet flavors of the marinade throughout
the meat.
1 cup Soy Balsamic Sauce (See recipe right)
⅓ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 pounds flank steak
- Combine the Soy Balsamic Sauce, oil, honey, vinegar,
salt and chili powder in a bowl and whisk until well
mixed. Place the flank steak in a large, shallow dish
and pierce it all over with a fork. Pour the marinade
over the steak and turn the steak to coat evenly. Cover
and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Heat the grill for direct heat cooking to medium
(350° to 375°F).
- Place the steak on the grill grate and cook, turning it
once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare.
You can cook it a minute or two longer if you prefer your
steak cooked medium, but flank steak should not be
cooked past medium or it will become chewy.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest
for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain,
arrange the slices on a serving platter, and serve.
Soy Balsamic Sauce
MAKES 1 CUP
This recipe is very dear to my heart, as it was my first attempt to use
ingredients that didn’t normally go together, but made sense to me.
In Asian cooking, vinegar is often used to cut saltiness from soy sauce
or other ingredients. For me, balsamic vinegar has the perfect mix of
sweetness, acidity and body to combine with the brown sugar and soy
sauce here.
1 teaspoon cornstarch, or as needed
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until the
cornstarch dissolves and the mixture is the consistency of heavy
cream, adding more cornstarch if the mixture is too thin.
- Combine the brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in a small sauce-
pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the
sugar. Stir the cornstarch mixture briefly to recombine, then stir it
into the soy-vinegar mixture and simmer over low heat for about
3 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat, let cool completely, then refrigerate in an
airtight container. This sauce will last for months without going bad.
RECIPES AND PHOTOS REPRINTED WITH
PERMISSION FROM “KOREAN BBQ:
MASTER YOUR GRILL IN SEVEN SAUCES,”
COPYRIGHT ©2018 BY BILL KIM WITH
CHANDRA RAM. PUBLISHED BY TEN SPEED
PRESS, AN IMPRINT OF PENGUIN RANDOM
HOUSE LLC. PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT
©2018 BY JOHNNY AUTRY.
