Fast Fabulous Korean Steak with Kimchi Fried Rice

                                                                                                                                     
A  great  diversion from ordinary grilled steak, these  popular  Korean street vendor beef strips
will earn rave reviews.  With the  rice, it has become one of our favorite meals,  exceptionally flavorful on all levels  ~~~  and slightly addictive. 

The  thin strips  cook  so  quickly on the grill that you can  feed a crowd  in a flash.  It's best cooked on charcoal  but  any really hot grill will work fine,  & as long as you don't have Korean guests, no one will be any wiser about the missing charcoal flavor.  This recipe  will serve   4-6  people, who will  be  snacking on any  leftover strips  long after dinner's over.  Make a big batch, they're terrific  later in  sandwiches  or on salads.   It does need 90 minutes of marinating time in total.

Cut about  2  lbs flank steak in 1/4 inch  across-the-grain slices.....cut on a slant so they are wider than the piece of beef is high... combine in a large  shallow bowl with  1/4 c sugar. This is not a time to use splenda or  other substitute, as the granular sugar  creates the char/ caramelization.   Toss and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. You could also use  flatiron steak.

Mix 3 green onions, cut in 2" slices & shredded,  2 TB minced fresh garlic,  1/4 c light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 3 TB sesame seeds, 1/8 c peanut ( or canola) oil......peanut is more authentic.     Turn the pieces to coat evenly and let marinate 30-60 minutes.   Do not marinate for long periods ( like all afternoon or overnight).

Grill strips about 5  inches from the heat source. Be sure the grill is very hot.  Take care to not let the steak strips slip off into the coals.  Pile on heaping platters, sprinkle with more toasted sesame seeds, and wait for the ooh's and ahh's of delight!  Best cooked  til  almost charred,  so the sugar caramelizes.


And the perfect accompaniment?  I  found  this rice recipe in  Food Network Magazine in a  feature about......Korean steak..  I like  my steak recipe much more ...but ooh, their  fried rice....excellent!!       Kimchi is a delicious   pickled Korean cabbage salad, found in jars in the refrigerator/produce section of many grocery stores, such as Meijer and Kroger.  I can't always   find   nori  locally, although Kroger has been consistently stocked recently... but  for that reason,  consider it an optional ingredient.  Get the steak ready to cook,  but  get a good head  start on  the fried rice first ----  it  should be nearly ready before you put on the steak. 

Cut 6-8 slices thick bacon in 1/2 inch pieces,   Toast 3 TB  sesame seeds.   Cut nori sheets in  thin 1/2" strips.  Heat an iron skillet to medium high, then add bacon, stir fry til almost done, 6-8 min.  Drain the kimchi, but keep the liquid.  Raise heat to high,  stir fry the kimchi til browned, about 8 minutes, then  add  4  1/2 - 5 c. cold cooked white rice ( chilled),    the reserved kimchi liquid,  all the oil, and half the nori.  Continue to cook, turning and flattening with a spatula til it forms a golden crust, about 8 minutes.   Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds and the remaining nori.

If you need another veg for this meal, throw some  mild frying peppers ( such as Anaheim or Poblano ) on the grill with  wedges of onion, and grill  them along with the meat.