This is a quick Korean noodle soup that’s healthy, packs big flavours and will curb your spicy Asian food cravings. The broth gets its flavour from gochujang and kimchi – express passes to flavour! (PS The soup looks far more fiercely spicy than it actually is, but this is not one for kids.)

Spicy Korean Noodle Soup

This is a bit of a gold nugget recipe because it’s actually quite difficult to make good spicy Asian soups. You can’t just add a squirt of chilli sauce into a classic Chinese soup broth. Well, you can, but it lacks the oomph of really good spicy Asian soups which have bold savoury flavour that compliments the spiciness. To make a great one, you typically need a mound of bones simmered for hours to make a homemade stock, a LOT of chilli oil or a deft combination of hard-to-find Asian sauces.

Hence my excitement over this spicy Asian soup recipe. Especially when it passed the highest of all taste-testing-bars: my brother. Famous in our circles for his tough critique of my recipes – read the backstory in Chilli Lime Fish for entertaining proof!

Key ingredients – Kimchi and Gochujang

The two key ingredients in this soup – both of which can be picked up at most everyday grocery stores – are kimchi and gochujang. Gochujang is a wickedly good Korean paste to have in your fridge – if only to make this soup over and over again!! More information below.

• Kimchi is a traditional Korean pickle of fermented vegetables packed in tangy, spicy juice. The cabbage version (the most common type) is best in this soup. The cabbage acts like a mop for the sauce so you get extra flavour in the broth!

  Widely available in the fridge section of large grocery stores or Asian stores these days. We use both the sauce in the jar as well as the vegetables for this recipe. The sauce is loaded with flavour, don’t waste it! Add it into stir fries or Asian soups for a hit of extra salt and spiciness.
  

• Gochujang is a spicy Korean paste loaded with savory flavour. It makes an appearance regularly in my Korean recipes – including the Slow Cooked Beef Ribs in Korean BBQ Sauce which is a signature dish in my cookbook (it’s insanely easy for phenomenal results!).

  Readily available these days in large grocery stores (Asian aisle, not fridge) and Asian stores.

Other broth ingredients

And here are the other ingredients required for the Korean soup broth:

• Chicken stock/broth – use low sodium, else it might be too salty once all the sauces are added.

• Fish sauce – Adds salt into the broth, and more flavour than just plain salt and even soy sauce.

• Soy sauce – More salt into the broth (just using fish sauce is a little too fishy). Use either light or all purpose soy sauce. Not dark soy sauce, the flavour is too strong! More on different soy sauces here.

• Chinese cooking wine – or mirin or dry sherry. Just a small amount adds depth of flavour and complexity to soups and sauces. Without, you’ll notice that the soup is missing “something”. Substitute with more fish sauce (see recipe notes).

• Ginger and garlic – To infuse the broth with flavour.

Soup add-ins

I’ve used choy sum and carrots in this soup. But it’s one to make your own! Use whatever cookable vegetables you want.

• Kimchi – As per above, we use the juices in the jar to flavour the broth as well as the cabbage. Korean spicy goodness to the max!

• Noodles – Use any type you want. I like using thin egg noodles for this – dried ones. But the recipe will work fine with any noodles at all, just prepare according to packet directions.

• Choy sum – Love using Asian greens for quick-prep recipes. So quick to chop! Plus, a good contrast of textures – some fresh crunch from the stem and floppiness from the leafy part. Feel free to substitute with other Asian greens (bok choy, gai lan/Chinese broccoli etc)

• Carrot – For some crunch and lovely contrasting colour! I’ve cut it into batons but if you can’t be bothered, just slice it on an angle. It really doesn’t matter.

• Green onion – Fresh garnish! Optional.

How to make spicy Korean noodle soup

This recipe has a great efficient flow to it. Pour the stock into the saucepan then as it is coming up to the simmer, measure out and add the remaining ingredients into the broth. Then while the broth is simmering for 10 minutes to bring the flavours together, chop the veg and cook the noodles. Then assemble the soup bowls!

1. Choy sum cutting – Trim the roots off. Cut into 7cm / 2.5″ pieces then separate the stems from the leafy part. Why? Because we add the stems first as they take longer to cook than the leaves which wilt in literally seconds. So we put them into the pot right at the end.

2. Kimchi – Measure out 2/3 cups kimchi and 2 tablespoons of kimchi juice. Press and squeeze the cabbage if needed to extract the juice! We need it for flavour, so don’t be short!

3. Simmer broth 10 minutes – Place all the broth ingredients into a saucepan then simmer for 10 minutes to bring the flavours together. I simmer the kimchi cabbage with the broth ingredients to extract the kimchi juices out of it.

4. Cook veg – Cook the bok choy stems and carrots for 2 minutes, then the leafy part of the choy sum for just 1 minute. Then that’s it! The broth is done, ready to assemble the noodle bowls.

5. Cook noodles – Cook the noodles according to the packet directions while the broth is simmering, then drain.

6. Assemble – Place the noodles in a bowl. Then ladle over the soup broth and all the add-ins. Sprinkle with green onions if using then serve!

This is such a gloriously quick dinner to make when you’re craving something healthy, something quick, something spicy or something slurpy – or any combination there of. 😂 It’s fabulously versatile with the add-ins: choose your own vegetables, choose your own noodles, add proteins if you want.

While I encourage you to make this soup your own, I will, however, get a little strict with the soup broth! The combination and quantity of sauces is one that my team and I agreed made the tastiest soup, after going back and forth quite a few times, with a few heated “debates” thrown in. If you skip any of the sauces, it will still taste good but not as great as it is intended to be.

So I really do hope you try the broth as written one of these days! And remember, you can get everything at large supermarkets here in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms).

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Spicy Korean Noodle Soup (quick & healthy)

Recipe video above. For all those times you need a spicy Asian noodle fix – FAST! This packs a serious flavour punch. The secret is the juices from the kimchi jar and a good dollop of gochujang, that magical spicy Korean paste you can get "everywhere" these days.

To add protein, cook raw prawns/shrimp or fish pieces in the broth (only takes 3 min), or top with slices of BBQ pork. You can also poach chicken in the broth using this foolproof method.

Course Main

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 365cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Spicy Korean Soup Broth

• 4 cups / 1 litre chicken stock/broth , low-sodium
• 2/3 cup cabbage kimchi (Note 1)
• 2 tbsp kimchi juice , from kimchi tub (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp gochujang (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 3)
• 2 tsp fish sauce (sub more soy)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine, Note 4)
• 2 slices ginger , sliced 0.7cm / 1/3" thick (skin on)
• 1 large garlic clove , smashed (Note 5)

Add-Ins (Note 7):

• 200g/ 7oz thin fresh egg noodles (or 100g/3.5oz dried – Note 6)
• 4 stems choi sum or other Asian greens, cut into 7cm / 2.5" lengths, stems separated from leafy part
• 1 small carrot , peeled, cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 1/2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 8)
• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions (1 stem)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Broth – Place all broth ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat so it’s simmering gently. Simmer 10 minutes without a lid.
• Cook vegetables – Add choi sum stems and carrot to the broth. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add choi sum leaves and simmer for another minute. Stir in sesame oil just before serving.
• Noodles – Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in boiling water per packet directions. Drain, give the noodles a quick rinse under tap water. Shake off excess water well.
• Assemble – Divide noodles between bowls. Top with the vegetables. Pick the garlic and ginger out of the broth, then broth pour over the noodles. Sprinkle with green onions and serve!

Notes

1. Kimchi is a traditional Korean pickle of fermented vegetables packed in tangy, spicy juice. Widely available in the fridge section of large grocery stores or Asian stores. Extract the juice by squeezing the spoon against the cabbage (there’s usually plenty in the jar, just need to extract it!).

2. Gochujang is a spicy Korean rice and bean paste loaded with savory flavour. You’ll need it for one of the signature recipes in my cookbook: Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs! Also for most Korean recipes I’ve shared.

3. Soy – Use light or all-purpose soy sauce but not dark soy sauce – too strong! More on different soy sauces here.

4. Chinese cooking wine – Substitute with mirin or dry sherry. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use another 1½ teaspoons fish sauce.

5. Smashed garlic – place the side of a knife on the garlic clove, then hit the palm of your hand on it to make the clove burst open but mostly hold together.

6. Noodles – Use any type you want! Try vermicelli or lo mein noodles.

7. Veg – Feel free to sub with anything of your choice.

8. Sesame oil – toasted sesame oil is brown and has more flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, untoasted is harder to find.

Leftovers – Store broth and noodles separately for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat separately then put together!

Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 365cal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 2717mg | Potassium: 805mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5232IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

When you see Dozer in a window display of the flagship Dymocks bookstore that thousands of people pass by every day – who cares about the recipes in my cookbook!!?? 😂

The post 15 minute Spicy Korean Noodle Soup appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

One for spicy food lovers! These beef ribs are slowly braised in a sweet and deeply savoury Korean BBQ sauce with a solid chilli kick for the fun factor. Simply mix the sauce up, pour it over the ribs and bake until the meat is slipping off the bone.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

• Read the cookbook overview

• Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here

• Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

The post Slow-Cooked Beef Ribs In Korean BBQ Sauce appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

BBQ Marinated Beef Short Ribs (Galbi) is one of the standouts of the world famous Korean barbecue! The unique thing about Korean BBQ marinades – aside from their amazing flavour – is their exceptional tenderising ability which can be applied to traditionally tougher cuts such as short ribs, making them tender in a way you never thought possible.

Once grilled, the succulent meat is at once sweet, savoury, garlicky, and smoky in flavour. The Koreans know a thing or two about good BBQ!

Korean BBQ Marinated Beef Short Ribs

Korean barbecue is one of the first things that come to mind when people think of Korean food. And it’s world famous for good reason! I love that it’s as much of a social event as it is an eating one, enjoyed by groups huddled around a table embedded with a grill sizzling with marinated meats, seafood and vegetables.

Interactive food, I call it. And I’m 100% on board!

Of all the marinated barbecued meats, I am pretty sure that Korean Short Ribs is one of the most well known. Koreans prize this cut for its rich beefy flavour, while the addition of the marinade tenderises, flavours and encourages delicious caramelisation on the meat as it barbecues.

Korean Short Ribs are also notable for the unique way they are cut: The meat is “unrolled” to form a long, thin flap still attached to the bone. This not only ensures maximum marinade penetration but also that the meat cooks quickly, while making it easier to eat.

Like I said, Koreans have their barbecue game all figured out!

Korean Barbecue Marinade for Beef Short Ribs

The DIY cooking experience aside, one of the things that makes Korean BBQ so great are the Korean barbecue marinades. There’s a few things makes Korean barbecue marinades so distinctive:

1. Exceptional tenderising effect – Korean barbecue marinades incorporate fresh fruit such as nashi pears, regular pears, apples, kiwis and pineapples which have natural tenderising qualities. These fruits break down the fibres of otherwise tough meats, such as the short ribs we are using today, to render theme exceptionally tender – even if you happen to overcook them!

2. Distinctive sweet-savoury flavour – They have a familiar yet unique Asian flavours. They are often strong on garlic – much Korean food is! – leaning towards the sweet but still savoury. As some of the sweetness comes from fruit rather than sugar, it’s very different to the sugary-sweet taste of some Western sauces. They are also complex, including ingredients like grated onion which adds a a great boost of savoury flavour and body.

Ingredients in Korean BBQ Marinade for Beef Short Ribs

Here’s what you need for the Korean Barbecue Marinade:

• Nashi pear or normal pear or apple – The unique ingredient in Korean Barbecue Marinades, nashi pear and other fruits have natural tenderising qualities that can soften the fibres of even the toughest cuts of meat. Beef short ribs are typically slow-cooked until fall apart tender (such as in this recipe and this recipe), yet here the meat is suitable for even barbecuing thanks to the marinade.

  “Nashi” is the Japanese word for “pear”. (So really, “nashi pear” means “pear pear”! 😂) It’s also known by various other names including Korean pear, Asian pear, Chinese pear, apple pear and sand pear, to name a few.

  It’s shaped like a round apple rather than the distinctive pear shape, but with a flesh texture and taste similar to a crisp pear. Except – dare I say it – juicier and tastier than most pears!

  Nashi pear is typically available throughout autumn and winter, though often I see them well into spring.

  Best substitutes: Normal pears or red apples. They have a very similar flavour and tenderising effect in end result;

• Garlic – Korean food is known for being liberal with the garlic, and Korean marinades are no exception!

• Ginger – The garlic plays a dominant role here, but ginger adds a lovely fragrant back note. I consider ginger to be complimentary and highly recommended but not essential;

• Onion – An essential savoury base ingredient, especially with the unique way in which it is finely grated;

• Mirin – Japanese sweet cooking wine which adds depth and complexity into the marinade and, well, anything it comes into contact with!;

• Soy sauce – For flavour and salt;

• Sesame oil – Like garlic, Koreans are very fond of sesame oil, and we do not complain!

• Sugar – Adds more sweetness as well as terrific caramelisation on the beef; and

• Black pepper – For a touch of warmth.

Beef Short Rib cut used for Korean BBQ

Beef ribs are a thick meaty cuts on the bone that are typically slow-cooked as hunks in Western cuisine, to break down the tough fibres until they become meltingly tender, such as these Beef Ribs in Red Wine Sauce.

In contrast, for Korean BBQ, beef short ribs are cut for cooking in various ways. They may be boneless, served as small, ready-to-grill, bite-sized pieces. Otherwise they may be cut with bone still attached. This can be one of two ways.

The first is known as “flanken cut” (also called LA galbi in the USA, and asado in other parts of the world including Australia), where the meat slices are cut across the ribs so you have several small pieces of rib per slice. The other is “English cut” ribs, where there is a single, longer rib bone section per slice. In Korean butchery these are cut smaller than you’ll typically find in the shops here in Australia. Also, and most characteristically, the meat is butterflied out into one long, thin piece of beef that unrolls, still attached to the bone.

The latter, butterflied beef short ribs, is what I’ve used today. This and the boneless cuts are rarely found at Western butchers, you need to get them from Korean or Asian butchers. But don’t worry, see below for an easily accessible substitution!!

The photos below show what butterflied beef short ribs looks like. The top photo is how it is sold at the Korean butchers, with the meat rolled up on the bone. The second photo shows what it looks like unrolled.

Best options / substitutions for Korean cut beef short ribs

The best options and substitutions for Korean cut beef short ribs are:

1. LA galbi / asado slices – As mentioned, these are also common in Korean BBQ, especially in the US. These are beef ribs, simply cut a different way (across the bone). Make sure the LA galbi / asado slices you buy are reasonably thin (no more than 1cm / 0.5″).

2. Boneless beef ribs, sliced – This is simply short ribs without the bone; or

3. Beef oyster blade which is essentially flatiron steak in the US. It has similar cooking and flavour characteristics to beef short ribs in that:

   • It can be slow or fast cooked;

   • It has a similar beefy flavour; and

   • When sliced thinly and marinated in a Korean BBQ marinade, it stays nice and juicy even when grilled long enough to caramelise (which necessarily pushes the thinly sliced beef far into well-done territory).

While oyster blade might not be a well-known cut of beef here in Australia, it is in fact even sold at large supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms) and is one of the better value cuts of beef.

To use oyster blade, simply finely slice it and use per the recipe in place of the beef short ribs. If you get the oyster blade in steak form (which is how it’s typically sold at supermarkets), then slice it thinly on an angle to get pieces with a larger surface area (partially freezing it helps).

The last option (expert level!) is: butterfly your own Korean beef ribs! Sometimes you can find suitable sized short ribs on the bone, but not butterflied. If you are confident, you can butterfly your own. It is not difficult if you are competent with a knife and take your time. You need pieces with ribs about the size you see in my photos, ie. ~8cm / 3″ long. The cutting part however is out of scope of this post, so follow this handy tutorial from Modern Pepper (a Korean cooking website) to see how to do it.

How to make Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs

One of the distinguishing techniques used in Korean marinades is that onion and fruit (nashi pear, in this case) are finely grated for maximum effect and flavour in the marinade.

1. Finely grate onion, nashi pear, ginger and garlic, then combine with remaining marinade ingredients;

2. Unroll the Korean cut butterflied beef short ribs;

3. Place beef in a ziplock bag or container then add the marinade;

4. Marinate beef for 24 hours. Don’t shortcut this – beef short ribs are a tough cut of beef so it needs the full marinating time to ensure it is properly tenderised;

5. Cook beef preferably on a BBQ but even a stove is fine. I like to use my BBQ so I can cook the beef strips whole – because it looks so good! But practicality rules when indoors, so just cut them up into pieces that will fit in your skillet or pan.

   It takes around 2 – 3 minutes on a hot BBQ to caramelise each side, by which time the inside of the thin slices of beef are very, very well done – in fact, technically overcooked for meat this thin. But do not worry, this is intentional! Why? Because the marinade keeps it tender. In fact, I’ve cooked it for well over 10 minutes and it was still unbelievably tender.

   Seriously. This Korean marinade is foolproof magic!

6. Remove from the BBQ or stove, then serve! Unlike other types of un-marinated Korean barbecue meats which have a dipping sauce, this beef is infused with and dripping with flavour so you absolutely will not need a sauce!

What to serve with Korean Marinated BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Korean food is equally well known for the selection of delicious, simple, and mostly vegetable side dishes known as banchan that are offered up alongside the main meal. The count can run from just a modest couple in the home to up to a dozen in some restaurants, where every available surface on the table is crammed with a dizzying array of sides served in individual dishes (spare a thought for the poor soul on dish washing duty!)

Kimchi (either store-bought or home-made) is a must, and potato salad nearly always makes an appearance. Some kind of simple lettuce salad – say, lettuce, some canned corn kernels, thinly sliced onion – is also typical (my Asian sesame dressing would be perfect here!) Plainly stir-fried vegetables also make great accompaniments to richly flavoured Korean mains. So any of the individual vegetable preparations in my bibimbap are also essentially mini-banchan recipes!

Meanwhile I can also offer up some other very typical Korean banchan recipes I’ve used from other websites:

• Bean sprout or soybean sprout salad – from the loveable Maangchi!

• Pickled radishes (easy) – from My Korean Kitchen (one of my go-to sources of authentic Korean recipes); and

• Korean Sesame Spinach Salad (easy) – also from My Korean Kitchen

• Sweet Soy Potatoes – from DriveMeHungry

Pictured in post are Kimchi Fried Rice and Ginger Smashed Cucumbers (both my recipes) which are a sensational pairing with this juicy Korean beef. I love the fiery red colour of the fried rice, which looks much more fierce than it actually is in taste!

And here are a few more options for you:

Kimchi Fried Rice

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Asian Slaw – healthy, crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad

How to cook white rice – easily and perfectly

Sesame Noodles

Happy Korean cooking! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Galbi – Korean BBQ Marinated Beef Short Ribs

Recipe video above. This is an excellent Korean barbecue marinade that will work with pork, chicken or even lamb. And while it's delicious cooked on the stove, a BBQ will better replicate the true Korean barbecue experience!

Do not worry about overcooking the thin slices of beef. The marinade is magical, it keeps the thin slices of beef incredibly tender even if you cook it for over 10 minutes which would ordinarily turn the beef into inedible dry cardboard!

Course Mains

Cuisine Asian, BBQ, Korean

Keyword Galbi, Korean Barbecue beef, Korean beef marinade, KOrean beef short ribs, Korean marinade, Korean short ribs

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

1 day

Servings 4 people

Calories 431cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 kg/ 2lb beef short ribs, butterflied Korean style (pictured) or thinly sliced through the bone (Note 1 for subs)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil , for cooking

Korean Barbecue Marinade:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce (all purpose or light soy, not dark or sweet)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin (Note 2)
• 1/4 cup onion , finely grated (including juice)
• 1/4 cup nashi pear , finely grated including juice (sub normal pear or any red apple, Note 3)
• 2 tsp garlic , finely grated
• 2 tsp ginger , finely grated
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (Note 4)
• 1 tsp black pepper

Serving (optional):

• Green onion, sesame seeds, coriander/cilantro leaves , for garnish
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Smashed Cucumbers

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Make Marinade: Whisk Marinade ingredients in a bowl.
• Marinade 24 hours: Place beef in a ziplock bag, glass or ceramic container. Pour over Marinade, mix well to coat. Cover and marinade for 24 hours.

Cooking:

• Remove beef from Marinade, discard Marinade.
• BBQ – Heat on high until smoking hot, then brush grills with vegetable oil. Lay beef on BBQ and cook for 2 minutes on one side until caramelised. Turn and cook the other side until caramelised. Remove, loosely cover with foil, cook remaining beef.
• Stove – Cut beef strips into pieces that will fit your skillet. Heat skillet with oil over high heat. Add beef and cook for 2 minutes until caramelised, then turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes.

Serving:

• Garnish beef with sesame seeds and green onions if desired. You don't need a sauce for this one – it is literally dripping with flavour! Pictured in post with Kimchi Fried Rice and Ginger Smashed Cucumbers.

Notes

1. Beef short ribs cut – Korean barbecue calls for a specific way of cutting beef short ribs so they are thin and cook quickly on the grill. They are either sliced through the bone into approx 0.7cm / 1/4″ slices (called LA galbi in the US, or asado elsewhere), or “butterflied” (pictured in post) so the meat rolls off the bone with the bone still attached.

Slicing through the bone requires special butchery equipment, butterflying short ribs requires not only nifty knife skills but also beef ribs that are not as fatty as the usual Western ones that are intended to be slow braised until meltingly tender (such as in Red Wine Sauce or BBQ Sauce).

I opt to buy mine pre-cut from Korean butchers! I go to Hahn’s Quality Korean Meats in Eastwood (Sydney) which is a Korean neighbourhood. Korean cut beef ribs can also be found at many Asian butchers.

Best substitutions:

a) Boneless short ribs, sliced; or

b) Beef oyster blade which is equivalent to flatiron steak in the US. It has similar cooking characteristics (able to be slow cooked or fast cooked) and similar texture + beefy flavour. Best to buy it in a roast form then slice 0.5cm / 0.2″ thick, marinade and cook per recipe. Oyster steak is sold at large grocery stores in Australia (Woolies, Coles, Harris). For these, freeze for 1 hour (it makes it easier to slice) then slice across surface on the diagonal so you get larger surface area thin slices.

2. Mirin – Japanese sweet cooking sake, which adds complexity and depth of flavour to anything it comes in contact with! Best substitute: 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine), or cooking sake. Otherwise, leave it out.

3. Nashi Pear – Prized for the natural tenderising qualities for this tough cut of beef, and sweet flavour it brings! Substitute with normal pear or any type of red apple.

4. Sesame Oil – toasted sesame oil is brown and has more flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, untoasted is harder to find.

5. Storage – marinated beef can be put in the freezer immediately, then it will marinate as it thaws overnight in the fridge. Cooked beef will keep for 4 – 5 days, but it’s truly at its best freshly cooked!

6. Nutrition assumes all the marinade is consumed which of course it is not. Impossible to calculate the actual calories per serving because of this, but suffice to say it is less!

Nutrition

Calories: 431cal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1269mg | Potassium: 742mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 5mg

The Spicy Side of Life: Korean recipes

Bibimbap! (Korean Rice Bowl)

Momofuku Bossam – Korean Slow Cooked Pork Roast

Kimchi Fried Rice

Korean Beef Bowl (Bulgogi – Korean BBQ Beef)

Spicy Korean Pork Stir Fry

Life of Dozer

When I cheated on Dozer in Tasmania!!! 💔 This is Oscar the trail dog, owned by a friend, who is actually able to keep up on mountain bike riding trails. Dozer, on the other hand, is no long distance runner, so he stayed at home with the golden retriever boarder. This is in Derby, Tasmania – just got back last night!

And here is Dozer and I, reunited. He knows I’ll always be faithful to him…..!!

The post Galbi – Korean BBQ Marinated Beef Short Ribs appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Don’t be intimidated by the fiery red colour of Kimchi Fried Rice. It actually isn’t that spicy! But it’s certainly loaded with flavour, even more than its Chinese counterpart. It makes an excellent (essential) side dish for a Korean food night, or alongside any Asian food. And it’s a satisfying meal in itself!

Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi Fried Rice is as common in Korea as Chinese fried rice is in China. Every household makes it, and it’s a thrifty comfort dish that makes use of leftover cooked rice and kimchi from the fridge. Extra ingredients on hand are often added to keep things interesting.

This fiery-red Korean rice dish is more bark than bite! While it is full-flavoured, it is not nearly as blow-your-head-off-spicy as one might expect.

Though having said that, if spicy is your thing, it’s very simple to dial up the spicy factor until you go cross-eyed!

So what does Kimchi Fried Rice taste like? Well … Kimchi. But more! The sauce for Kimchi Fried Rice is made with a combination of the juices from a jar of kimchi, plus gochujang, the Korean soy bean chilli paste commonly used in Korean cooking.

If you love fried rice, this is absolutely one for you to try. It’s one of the more intensely flavoured fried rice dishes, which is right up my alley. I am all for kapow flavours!

What goes in Kimchi Fried Rice

Here’s what you need to make Kimchi Fried Rice:

• Kimchi – Kimchi is pickled and fermented cabbage, often spicy. It’s pretty widely availably these days even in everyday grocery stores, especially with the whole fermentation trend amongst the healthy food crowd.

  Fashion aside, skip the boho-hipster kimchi brands and stick to a tried-and-true Korean one! Not all kimchi is created equal, so if you can get to an Asian store, even better. Typically the kimchi will be fresher, with better flavour. I am using Paldo brand in this recipe.

• Rice – Use day-old cooked rice that’s been refrigerated. Or better yet, have you got a stash in the freezer? If not, WHY NOT?? Rice freezes perfectly and it’s a handy to have a stash ready to go. It’s an Asian thing. 😇

  Struggling with how to cook rice? Here’s how I make it. A game-changer for anyone who has struggled to cook rice on the stove!

  Type of rice – Any plain white rice works well for the most neutral flavour base, whether long, medium or short grain. Jasmine, basmati, brown and other rices with more flavour will also work just fine but will add their own distinct flavour to the dish.

• Enoki mushrooms – While you’ll find every Korean household has their own standard inclusions for Kimchi Fried Rice (I’ve even heard of Spam ham being a regular!), enoki mushrooms is a fairly popular choice you often see at Korean restaurants. Substitutes are provided in the recipe card notes;

• Gochujang – A soy bean-based Korean chilli paste that is packed with umami (savoury flavour), commonly used in Korean cooking for heat, flavour and its rich red colour. A dollop of this can save any (Asian) dish that you feel is missing “something” and it lasts almost forever in the fridge. It’s spicy, but we don’t use much, just 1 tablespoon.

  Where to find it: These days, you can even find it in the Asian section of major grocery stores in Australia, such as Woolworths and Coles. Otherwise, Asian or Korean stores.

  Also used in: Momofuku Pork Bossam, Bibimbap (Korean Rice Bowl), Spicy Korean Pork Stir Fry.

• Garlic – It would be an understatement to say Koreans love their garlic. Kimchi Fried Rice would never happen without it!

• Sesame oil – Koreans also love sesame oil!

How to make Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi Fried Rice is flavoured with the juice of Kimchi plus a dab of gochujang for a extra kick of flavour. Really, don’t skip the gochujang. It would be like making Chinese Fried Rice without soy sauce. Just, no!

Part 1: Prep the kimchi

1. Extra juice from kimchi – Measure out 1 packed cup of kimchi, then either press through a sieve to extract as much juice as possible OR just grab handfuls and squeeze it out. I normally do the latter, but thought it would be more respectable to use a sieve for the purpose of sharing this recipe!

2. The purpose of this step is twofold – To extract the kimchi juice which we use as the sauce for the fried rice, and to remove water from the kimchi so the fried rice doesn’t go soggy;

3. Measure out 1/4 cup of kimchi juice. If you’re struggling to get this much out of the 1 cup of kimchi you measured, if you’re still short, steal some more out of the kimchi jar or squeeze more cabbage!

4. Chop kimchi into 2cm / ⅘” pieces – Not too fine, we want the chunks in the fried rice.

Part 2: Making the Kimchi Fried Rice

1. Cook enoki mushrooms – Most recipes will have you cook the enoki mushrooms with the rice. You get a better result by cooking it separately so it doesn’t go soggy, and nor does it get weighed down by too much of the rather intense Kimchi Fried Rice sauce.

   I cook it in sesame oil and a little garlic for flavour;

2. Set aside – It takes barely a minute to start wilting in the pan. Then simply remove it to a plate;

3. Sauté garlic with gochujang – This takes the raw edge off the gochujang, and removes some of the excess water to keep the fried rice from going soggy. It also intensifies the gochujang flavour;

4. Cook kimchi – Next, we add the kimchi and cook it for a minute to drive off any excess moisture and warm it through. Kimchi does not need to be cooked, we just don’t want cold bits of kimchi in our fried rice!

5. Add rice;

6. Add kimchi juice;

7. Toss well – Toss the rice well to ensure all the flavours coat the rice evenly. You especially want to ensure the gochujang coating the kimchi goes through the rice;

8. Add enoki mushrooms back in, and toss through to disperse. You’re done!

Optional toppings: Fried egg & nori strips

If you’re serving Kimchi Fried Rice as a side dish for Korean mains, especially things that are a bit saucy, then it’s fine to serve it unadorned.

However, if you’re serving it as a meal, I definitely recommend topping it with a fried egg, sunny side up! This is a traditional topping for Kimchi Fried Rice, and the runny yolk essentially acts like a bit of sauce for the dish.

Other traditional garnishes that are more for visual effect than flavour include:

• Crispy nori / dried seaweed strips – You can buy roasted, crispy nori seaweed in small packets which is just cut into little batons. Otherwise, just use normal nori or skip it. It’s really not a big part of the eating experience, it’s more for visual;

• Green onions – Just finely sliced for a nice splash of fresh green colour; and

• Black sesame seeds – The black colour pops against the red rice and the egg! But again, it’s not a big deal to skip it.

How to serve Kimchi Fried Rice

Ideas for serving Kimchi Fried Rice:

• A side dish to all things Korean;

• Alongside all things Asian, in fact. Think: next to stir fries, as a side dish for things like Chinese BBQ Pork or Chinese Crispy Pork Belly;

• Prop up light meals such as Egg Foo Young, or create a meal by serving alongside appetiser-type things like Spring Rolls, Chinese Pork Dumplings (Potstickers), Siu Mai or Sticky Chinese Wings;

• As a completed meal, topped with the egg;

• Throw it together on the hotplate at the end of a home Korean barbecue; or

• Use it to stuff into Korean Lettuce Wraps – try it with Momofuku Pork Bossam. Epic!

Enjoy! – Nagi x

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Watch how to make it

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Kimchi Fried Rice

Recipe video above. Kimchi Fried Rice is a staple in every Korean household. It's a typical way to use up leftover rice and kimchi, while still delivering big flavours that belie its humble nature. Along with kimchi, gochujang (Korean chilli paste) is the other hero ingredient that brings flavour, colour and heat to the party!

Don't panic! It's not nearly as spicy as it looks and it's easy to adjust the heat in the recipe.

Serve alongside all things Korean, or Asian really. Or as a main with a fried egg!

Course Rice, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Keyword fried rice recipe, Kimchi fried rice, korean fried rice, Korean rice dish, korean side dish, spicy fried rice

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Servings 4 – 5 as a side

Calories 243cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 tsp sesame oil , toasted, separated (1 tsp + 1 tsp)
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 200g/7oz enoki mushrooms (Note 1)
• 1 tbsp oil , vegetable, peanut or canola
• 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste, Note 2)
• 1 cup (packed) kimchi (Note 3)
• 1/4 cup kimchi juice , from the kimchi above (Note 3)
• 3 cups cooked , day old white rice (Note 4)

Garnishes:

• Fried egg , runny yolk, sunny-side up
• Black sesame seeds
• Green onions , finely sliced
• Crispy seaweed strips (Note 5)

Instructions

• Strain kimchi juice – Place kimchi in a sieve set over a bowl. Press firmly to extract as much juice as you can. We need juice for the sauce, and to reduce the wetness of the kimchi so it doesn't make the rice soggy.
• Measure kimchi juice – Measure out 3 tablespoons of the kimchi juice and set aside. (Note 3 if you're short).
• Cook enoki mushrooms – Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add enoki mushrooms, about 1/2 tsp garlic, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until just-wilted, then remove to a plate.
• Garlic and gochujang – Return pan to the stove. Add oil. Add garlic and cook for 20 seconds until it's lightly golden. Add gochujang and cook for 30 seconds until it dries out a bit – just move it around in a lump, breaking it up a bit as you can.
• Cook kimchi – Add kimchi and cook for 1 minute, just to heat it through (kimchi doesn't need to be cooked) and drive off any excess moisture.
• Add rice and kimchi juice – Add rice and kimchi juice, toss well for 1 1/2 minutes until the rice is fully stained red. Toss well to ensure the gochujang mixed with the kimchi disperses throughout the rice.
• Enoki mushrooms and 1 tsp sesame oil – Add the enoki mushrooms and remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Toss through rice.
• Serve, topped with garnishes of choice!

Notes

1. Enoki Mushrooms – A popular Asian mushroom with fine stems. It is fairly easily found these days in large grocery stores in Australia. Sub with other sliced Asian mushrooms (shimeji, oyster, king, fresh or rehydrated shiitake) or ordinary mushrooms.

2. Gochujang – Korean soy bean chilli paste, it adds a ton of umami (savoury flavour) and spice into anything! Find it in large grocery stores in the Asian aisle (Woolies, Coles, Harris – for Aus), or Asian / Korean grocery stores. It lasts “forever” in the fridge. Also use for: Korean Pork Bossam, Bibimbap and Korean Pork Stir Fry.

Gochujang sometimes comes in different grades of chilli heat, shown on the label. I strongly recommend you buy the mild one, which is already fairly spicy!

If you like your Kimchi Fried Rice really spicy, add 50% more gochujang. Beyond that the salt and flavour can start to dominate the dish, so if you want even more spiciness, I’d suggest you add chilli powder from here.

3. Kimchi – A Korean staple, this is pickled fermented vegetables. Cabbage is the most common one which is what we use here. Widely available these days even in everyday grocery stores. I used Paldo brand kimchi here.

If your 1 cup of kimchi doesn’t yield enough juice, spoon out some from the jar or just squeeze extra from more cabbage!

4. Day-old cooked rice – White rice is best (and traditional). It must be day-old so it’s dry and crumbly, to avoid mushy fried rice. Need some for a fried rice emergency? Cook rice, spread on a tray, cool then freeze.

5. Crispy seaweed / nori strips – Buy it, or skip it. It’s not a big deal for this dish, it’s more for visuals!

6. Storage and reheating – Fried rice keeps very well, especially one without meat. Seal in a container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, add a small splash of water and microwave. While it can be frozen, but it’s not recommended especially when it’s so quick to make.

7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings. Excludes toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 243cal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

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