I was recently in Korea and was thrilled when my friends took me to a Korean Restaurant for a little “Beef and Leaf” or Korean BBQ. Korea has these awesome table grills that are fueled by propane, so you order several meat platters and cook the meat as you eat it, almost like fondue. You eat each piece of meat as part of a lettuce like burrito with a variety of other toppings. These toppings include items like rice, kimchee (fermented cabbage), garlic cloves, [easyazon_link identifier=”B013HB0CC4″ locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]gochujang[/easyazon_link](chili paste) which I talk about here, fermented cucumbers, etc. You grab a lettuce leaf, add some rice, a little meat, then pile on the toppings as you desire. Then the goal is to eat it in one bite packed with flavor. I had an ajumma (an older woman/auntie) who camped out at our table, cooking the meat for us and insisting that I put every ingredient in my lettuce wrap. She would grab my wrist when I didn’t have every ingredient and insisted I finish everything in one bite. There are worse problems to have!
Korean BBQ
What I like about Korean BBQ is that it is a very social way to cook, you take time to visit while the meat cooks. I think this might be another reason why the Koreans have one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption per capita. The result is that every meal feels like a little bit of a party.
This is why I think Korean BBQ has a lot of potential for backyard entertaining or camping! With a small hibachi grill you could replicate this experience. I would just ensure you have a heat barrier if you are using a plastic table and make sure it is stable so little ones can’t get hurt. I also find that I don’t eat as much with Korean BBQ, because my stomach has more time to tell my brain I am full. This means a little meat can really be stretched with the addition of other toppings. Take it an extra step by serving it with Soju a traditional Korean liquor that mixes well with juices.
Perhaps use this as part of a theme with your Backyard Movie, say by showing 1970’s [easyazon_link identifier=”B008IGAITQ” locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″]M*A*S*H[/easyazon_link].
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