Korean-style rice ball (joo muk bap)  

Inspired by my cousin Nam’s photo of a snack she recently enjoyed, I tried my hand at making joo muk bap (literally, fist rice because it is made by hand) withingredients I had in my pantry.  Spread 2 cups cooked short-grain rice in a wide plate (I used an 8x8 baking dish), then season lightly with salt, Japanese… Continue reading Korean-style rice ball (joo muk bap)  

Korean marinated perilla leaves (gget nip)

Soak about 20 fresh perilla (or sesame) leaves in salt water (10 to 1 ratio of water to salt), cover, then let sit for 1 week.  Drain, then carefully brush each leaf with a mixture of 1 part Korean soybean paste (doen jang) and Korean hot pepper paste (kochujang), sprinkling lightly with toasted sesame seeds.… Continue reading Korean marinated perilla leaves (gget nip)

Korean puréed soybean stew with kimchi and pork, family version (kong beejee)

Soak 2 cups dried soybeans for several hours, then clean and drain, and set aside.  Sauté bite sized pieces of pork (here 1.5 lb of pork chops) until browned.  Season lightly with salt and black pepper.  Using the blender feature of a food processor, purée the soybeans with some water (about a 2:1 ratio).  The… Continue reading Korean puréed soybean stew with kimchi and pork, family version (kong beejee)

Korean soy-braised beef with mushrooms and hot peppers (jang jorim)

This is one of my childhood favorites, something that always reminds me of my mom. Cut 2 ½ to 3 lbs of boneless stewing beef (such as flank or beef chuck) into bite-sized cubes (1.5-2") and place in the bottom of a large pressure cooker. Cover with 1 ½ cups soy sauce and ½ cup… Continue reading Korean soy-braised beef with mushrooms and hot peppers (jang jorim)

Korean wakame seaweed soup with beef (miyuk guk) 

Soak about 1-2 oz dried wakame seaweed in room temperature water and set aside.  Saute 1/2 lb lean beef (cut into bite-sized pieces) in a little oil.  When browned, add 5-6 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dry), cut into ½" slices  Sauté until fragrant, then add 2 large Yukon potatoes (or 1 large Russet potato) cut into large, bite-sized chunks (here,… Continue reading Korean wakame seaweed soup with beef (miyuk guk) 

Korean slow-cooked beef soup with radish (moo tang)

This soup goes great with kimchi (store-bought, in the background).  Soak 5 pieces (about 3 lb) bone-in beef shank in water for about 10 minutes, then placed the drained beef into a large stock pot, covering with about 10 cups water.  Add 2 large onions, halved and peeled, and one head of garlic (peeled and separated… Continue reading Korean slow-cooked beef soup with radish (moo tang)

Korean-Chinese fish cake soup over noodles (ool myun)

This is a dish from my childhood, one that I did not realize was part of a Korean-Chinese fusion (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Chinese_cuisine) until many years later.  This is one of my childhood favorites, with its delicate flavor and contrasting textures.  Sauté bite-sized pieces of 1/2 lb beef chuck (see Note below) in a little oil.  Season… Continue reading Korean-Chinese fish cake soup over noodles (ool myun)