korean marinated beef.

I love taking myself out to lunch.  I think I’ve developed a strong affinity for it because most of my meals are spent sitting in a cubicle alternating each bite of food with the sending of an email.  We live in a world where we are constantly expected to multitask (something I’ve become exceptionally good at) and we forget the simple pleasure of eating and actually focusing on eating and not on the e-mail/Instgram/Twitter/Facebook.  I don’t often get the opportunity to have a leisurely weekday afternoon lunch (truth be told it is super rare) but when the opportunity does arise I always gravitate towards Momofoku Ssam for their duck lunch.  You sit at the counter and catch up on your NYMag reading while you wait for your duck.  Rather quickly, it will arrive.  Several generous pieces of duck along with rice, lettuce leaves, a chive pancake, and three types of sauces.  You will sit and eat a very messy lunch and it will be delicious.  So delicious in fact that when you finish the meal you will spend the rest of the afternoon thinking about how you can recreate the meal.  I finally got around to making my own version of this dish by making Korean marinated beef instead of the duck and going for the traditional scallion pancakes (recipe coming later this week!) over the chive.  The results won a rave review from the boy and an equally rave review from me. 

Korean Marinated Beef

Recipe adapted (barely) from Gourmet

This is basically beef marinated in a homemade version of teriyaki sauce (or that was how it tasted to me).  The combination of sweet and salty is a very traditional Korean pairing (and one that I adore).  I highly suggest the addition of Sriracha at the end because salty, sweet, and spicy is an even better combination. 

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil (hot oil or regular)

1 bunch scallions (white and pale green separated from greens), minced (1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger (or 1 tablespoon grated ginger)

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

½ pound flank steak, cut across the grain into very thin slices (no more then 1/8 inch thick.  This is easiest when the meet is very cold.  You can also find meet sliced thin like this at Asian supermarkets!)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Accompaniments: Butter lettuce or other soft-leaf lettuce; Sriracha, steamed white rice, scallion pancakes (recipe below), additional sliced scallions

Stir together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, scallions, garlic, ginger, and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved.  Add steak and toss to coat, then let  marinate 15-30 minutes. 

Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking and add steak in 1 layer and sauté, turning over occasionally, until browned and just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.  Transfer to platter and sprinkle with scallion greens and remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds.  Then serve with accompaniments.