kalbi

i have a theory that the way to he heart of a true omnivore (male or female) is this special dish called kalbi. I think kalbi and it's cousin bulgogi are the top two reasons I have never been a vegetarian. it's nearly a ritual of a meal consisting of delicately marinated beef, Korean side dishes including, of course, plenty of kimchi, and rice. it can take hours over a table grill and beautiful conversations. but in the end the winner is the last man standing. how much meat can you eat? it's beautiful.

well Puyallup doesn't have any Korean BBQ restaurants yet so I'm getting in touch with my inner Korean mama and making kalbi for dinner tomorrow night.

if you're as lucky as I am to have daily access to an Asian market you might be tempted to make this everyday. just please be careful to put the kimchi in an extra bag because your fellow train passengers may not be too happy about the aroma of it wafting through the car... although the gentleman in the seat in front of me (our knees nearly touching) is Korean and I bet he'd be impressed with the contents of the grocery bags making themselves at home beneath my seat.

the other thing about kalbi (and any other delightful tasting food) is that there is a responsibility to share with those who've never heard the good news. so I'll be eating kalbi tomorrow night with my buddies in my band. having grown up in precious Puyallup I'd venture to guess that mama b and mama h have ever heard from their inner Korean mama so it'll be a new experience for the guys, officially making it a very important occasion. there will be a balance between exposing them to the glories of it and not putting them off too much by the unfamiliar sights of pickled radishes gleaming yellow in their brine or the kimchi soft and spicy still only a question in their minds. it's scary the first time, I'll have to hold their hands a bit but one day they'll be believers too.

should you choose to forego the kimchi and pickled veggies, kalbi is still the most wonderful marinade on the planet. do it. you won't regret it. and your inner Korean mama will thank you for letting her out!

kalbi:
1. make a purée of the following:
-a pear (if you don't have pears you could probably use apples)
-a few cloves of garlic
-an onion or so
-some fresh ginger
-just enough water that it'll blend

once you have a nice creamy looking purée add it to the following:
-soy sauce
-a splash of sesame oil
-honey or agave nectar
-black pepper

mix it up and let it do it's magic.
I like to let it marinate as long as possible... probably over night at the most.
traditionally kalbi and bulgogi (which isn't as sweet as kalbi) are served grilled, hence the American term Korean BBQ. but really it's just the best marinade ever and I'm probably going to do some in the croc pot tomorrow.

now you know.

ps. I just almost lost a head of cabbage down the isle of the train. that would have been a great story!!

posting pics of our meal soon