At times, I crave food that is fresh and light with a definite kick and this spicy Korean beef salad is just the thing. Apart from a little forward thinking, it is very simple to put together. It makes use of Gochujang, a Korean red pepper paste that is bright to taste, colourful and spicy. Readily available from most Asian supermarkets, it adds a gorgeous gentle heat and caramelises when on the bbq. The marinade is versatile and works delightfully on chicken thighs or lamb shoulder as well.
Please feel free to use whichever cut of steak you wish and adjust the cooking times to match your taste. The salad ingredients can be adapted to suit whatever items are in your fridge.
Ingredients
- Marinade:
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2cm ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp rice bran oil
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp gochujung, Korean red pepper paste
- 200gm beef eye fillet
- Salad:
- A handful each of blanched green beans, bean sprouts, sliced spring onions, julienned carrots
Instructions
In a container, mix all the marinade ingredients together until a smooth paste forms. Coat the beef in the marinade and leave overnight in the fridge for the flavours to really develop. Heat up your griddle, or bbq. Cook the beef to your taste, I like mine at roughly 3 minutes each side. Rest the beef for 5 minutes, before slicing into nice pieces. Toss together your salad ingredients, layering in the beef slices. Sprinkle with some chilli flakes, sesame seeds and drizzle of sesame oil. While not traditionally Korean, a squeeze of fresh lime over the top is often lovely.
Notes
The marinade does tend to smoke a little bit once it has hit the hot pan or the BBQ.
