Bulgogi is by far one of the most recognized beef marinade dishes from Korea. The dish is literally translated “fire meat.” Bulgogi is thinly sliced beef, marinated in a sweet and tangy sauce and cooked on an open fire or super hot grill. Anybody venturing into Korean cuisine for the first time typically starts with bulgogi. It’s a favourite dish of mine and my family loves it.

How to Make Bulgogi Beef Marinade

Every Korean family has a twist on how they make their beef marinade. Some like it more on the sweet side, adding extra sugar to the mix. My Korean mother liked to make it with a ground-up Asian pear in the marinade. Since Asian pears can be expensive and not always available year-round, I’ve taken to using an apple in my marinade. I’ve seen other recipes that will use pineapple or kiwi in the marinade too. The fruit helps to tenderize the beef as well as add sweetness.

Rib eye steak is the meat traditionally used for bulgogi. You can use almost any cut of steak, but fatty cuts taste better. Rib eye is a fatty cut of steak with tons of flavor, but it’s also an expensive cut of meat. I love using skirt steak with bulgogi marinade. Skirt steak is relatively inexpensive (compared to rib eye) and there’s no need to slice it thin before marinating. It’s already thin and cooks quickly, making it well suited for soaking up all the flavors from the beef marinade.

Ingredients

1 1½-2 pound skirt steak
6 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp white wine
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Small red apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tsp minced ginger
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp of cooking oil
¼ cup sliced green onions (for garnish)

• Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, white wine, onion, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and apple into a food processor.
• Pulse the food processor until everything is incorporated. It will look similar to apple sauce.
• Place the skirt steak into a shallow dish or plastic baggie.
• Pour the beef marinade into the bag. Massage the marinade into the meat.
• Marinate for at least 4 hours in the fridge.

To cook:

• Preheat a large cast iron skillet on high heat.
• Spread a tablespoon of cooking oil into the skillet.
• Lay the skirt steak on to the skillet, along with all the marinade.
• Cook on medium-high to high heat for 3 to 5 mins.
• Flip the steak and cook for a few more minutes until the desired doneness.
• Let the steak rest for five minutes before slicing. Drizzle with the reduced marinade from the pan.
• Serve the steak with rice or wrapped in leaf lettuce.

Also, you can cook the skirt steak on a grill, but you won’t get all the juicy goodness from the marinade. No worries. Save the marinade! Pour the marinade in a small saucepan. Cook it on high heat. The sauce will caramelize and reduce by half. After cooking, let the steak rest for five minutes before you slice it. Drizzle the marinade onto the steak before serving.

The post Korean Beef Marinade Bulgogi Skirt Steak appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

There are two things needed to make a successful risotto: the right type of rice, and time. You must use Arborio or any other short grain, starchy rice. Arborio is an Italian short-grain rice known for its high starch content. Could you use another type of rice? Nope. Medium and long grain rice lacks the starch needed to make risotto creamy. I have, however, used sushi rice with some success.

In addition to using a short grain, starchy rice, the liquid must be incorporated slowly into the rice. Slowly adding the liquid will release the starch in the rice while the rice cooks through. The result is a creamy smoothness without the heavy use of cream or butter. Risotto is time-consuming. There’s no quick way to achieve that creaminess.

For me, the worst part of making risotto is having to constantly stir the rice while slowly adding in the broth. I just don’t enjoy giving that much attention to one dish, no matter how much I like it. I thought, why not stick it in a slow cooker? The whole purpose of a crock pot is to cook things slowly. So, in my mind risotto should work great. Well, I did, and I loved the results! Now, this doesn’t get you risotto faster, but it’s 100 times easier.

Ingredients

3-3/4 cups broth(chicken or vegetable)
1-1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas
Crock pot or slow cooker

Directions

Mix broth, rice, olive oil, wine, garlic, minced shallots, salt, and black pepper in a slow cooker.
Cover with lid. Cook on high heat setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Periodically, check on the cooking progress. If it seems to be absorbing the broth quickly, add ¼ cup of more broth or water.
The risotto is done when the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. The rise will have a consistency of porridge.
Stir in Parmesan cheese and frozen peas.
Cook uncovered until parmesan cheese is melted and peas are cooked through (about 15 minutes).
Serve warm with extra parmesan cheese on top.

You can make this dish as is or add in an array of other flavourful ingredients. Try adding in scallops, lobster, truffles, veal, mushrooms, squid ink, snails, asparagus, duck, sausage and pumpkin in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. With risotto’s relatively mild taste, it’s a great base for a multitude of flavours and textures.

Read more:

• Butternut Squash Soup & a Glass of Chardonnay
• Winter Demands Vegetable Soup
• This Slow Cooker Ratatouille Will Blow Your Mind

The post Easy Crock Pot Risotto appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.