Pork Stir Fry (Korean BBQ)

Korean BBQ Stir Fry is a step up from a basic stir fry. I prefer Pork (Center Cut Thin Sliced) for this stir fry. You can sub steak and chicken if you like.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. of thinly sliced pork

8ox green and hot peppers. (Diced Long Hots.......whoa!)

8ox whole baby carrots

1 thinly sliced onion (Yellow or White) 

3 cloves minced garlic

Soy Sauce for stir fry
Korean BBQ sauce (See Recipe)  for marinade
Stir Fry Oil (Lemongrass) for cooking oil

In a Wok or cast iron skillet, coat the pan with the wok oil. (Trader Joe's has a great Wok Oil) Heat to a medium heat. Add the pork and vegetables. As the pork is close to browning up, ensure that the vegetables are cooked and ready. When you think you have 5 mins left in the cooking process, add the Korean BBQ sauce as a marinde. Cook down so that everything is thickly coated. 

Jasmine Rice is a nice compliment to this dish. Follow the cooking directions. Set aside as your finish the stir fry. Have the jasmine rice be your base and the stir fry on top. Provide enough Korean BBQ sauce so that the rice can be immersed in the flavors.

Additional notes: Dads should feel free to add additional vegetables and meats. I really like pork for this dish, however your tastes may be different. 

Korean BBQ Sauce

When you have 4 kids, it is common to introduce them to new customs for eating. Korean BBQ has been a favorite of mine for years. I discovered it in Portland Oregon. Living in Upstate NY, you choices are limited. Recently however, Korean BBQ has been introduced into our area. This peeked my interest to introduce the kids to Korean BBQ and they love it!

While you can buy a basic sauce in the stores. I do like to make my own. I use it for all of my recipes. As with all of the things on our blog, dads (and moms) should feel to experiment with the recipe.

Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup hoison sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
Fresh grated ginger
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp of rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of gojuchang
1/2 tsp of Chili Sauce or Siracha
1 clove fresh minced garlic

In a bowl, mix the ingredients together. If the sauce is soupy, add a few tsps of corn starch as a thickener. The secret of the heat is the gojuchang sauce. Be careful as it can turn up the heat. Gojuchang is a key ingredient for many sauces that I create. It is also great in soups. Once you get the correct consistency (Similar to BBQ sauce) set in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Korean BBQ Shish Kabob - Pork Chicken or Steak

What better activity for your kids then assembling a meal. Shish Kabobs are the LEGOS of cooking. You can arrange your meats and vegetables in any order that reflects color and taste. They really are quite fun. I use wooden skewers. I have used the metal skewers in the past. I worry they retain heat at a greater strength than wood which can lead to burned fingers. Wood in my opinion works better. 

Korean BBQ sauce is becoming more common in stores. You can make your own. It is quite easy. (See you recipe on the blog

Skewing meats and vegetables requires a few tips. First the meat. When cutting the meat, you want to skew the meat closely to the vegetables. When skewing, the meat needs to be skewed through it's greatest width. You want to grill based on the most coverage you can get. Avoided thick cubed cuts. 

Next, use your onions for flavor. They make for great cover and help steam and smoke the meats. Thicker vegetables like zucchini have the same effect. Mushrooms are best when they are large. Portabellas are amazing as a compliment to the meats. 

Meats and vegetables need to be cut and marinated for a few hours before grilling. If you have a flavor savor, you can place the meats and veggies in a flavor seal bag, along with the brine. Run the mixture through the brine and the machine will suck the brine entirely through your veggies and meat. You do risk vegetable damage if not careful. 

The last step is setting your grill on low. Preheat the grill and use oil or a cooking spray to help keep the kabobs from sticking to the grill. You want to slow cook the kabobs so the marination and smoke simmer the meats and vegetables. Turn once or twice for even cooking. Take off the grill and serve alone or over rice. I love kabobs as a bento dish. Enjoy! 

Cubed Items for Grilling

Pork Chicken or Beef

Zuchinni Slices

Red Onions as Peels

Cherry Tomatoes

Portabella Mushrooms

Peppers Multi Colored Sweet or Hot

Other Options

Eggplant

Whole Garlic

Semi Pre-boiled Brussels Sprout

Carrots 

 

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