Recipe: Koreatown Rib Eyes with Sweet Sesame Marinade (Soot Bull Jeep - Los Angeles, Cal

KOREATOWN RIB EYES WITH SWEET SESAME MARINADE

FOR THE BEEF AND MARINADE:
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds rib eye steaks
3 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
1 piece (2-inch) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-lnch slices
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup Asian (dark) sesame oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 to 3 teaspoons chile oil or hot paprika (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR SERVING:
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Kimchi (optional)
Romaine lettuce (optional)

Carefully cut the rib eyes cross wise (through the thickness) on a meat slicer (or using a very sharp knife) into slices no more than 1/4 inch thick. Place the beef slices in a baking dish.

MAKE THE MARINADE:
Set aside 3 tablespoons of the scallion greens for garnish. Place the garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame seeds and the remaining scallions in a food processor and finely chop. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, chile oil, and pepper and process to mix. Pour the marinade over the beef slices, turning them to coat. Let the beef marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator, covered.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.

Brush and oil the grill grate. Drain the marinade from the beef and discard the marinade. Place the beef on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium, the degree of doneness served at most Korean restaurants.

Sprinkle the reserved scallion greens and the sesame seeds on top, then serve. Korean Americans would eat bool kogi with kimchi (pickled vegetables), wrapping them together in romaine lettuce leaves and serving steamed rice on the side.

Notes:
Chile oil is a hot pepper oil sold in Asian markets. Most brands are Chinese.

"Soot Bull Jeep may be the best kept secret in Los Angeles - a Koreatown barbecue joint so authentic, each table comes equipped with its own charcoal-burning hibachi. This means you get to enjoy the eye-stinging smoke and spark-spitting coals of a backyard barbecue with someone else prepping the food and clearing the tables. And what food! Gorgeously marbled rib eye steaks, sliced wafer-thin, marinated in a sweet, nutty-tasting mixture of sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Grilled at the table by you or your waitress, the steaks are served with all the trimmings, which in this case means the colorful panoply of pickled vegetables and salads that the Koreans call kimchi. If you're familiar with Korean food, you may know steaks fixed this way by their Korean name - bool kogi - and if you don't, it's high time you tried them, for rarely does such a quick, easy preparation result in such extraordinary taste."

Makes 6 servings
From: Soot Bull Jeep - Los Angeles, Calif.
Source: Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America By Steven Raichlen