I’ll never forget the first time I ate Korean food. We were visiting my mom’s friend in Los Angeles and she took us out for Korean barbecue. My first taste of kimchi, banchan, and bulgogi and I was hooked. I live in California where great Korean food is not difficult to come upon, but in 2012 I learned I would have to be gluten free for the rest of my life. Instead of saying goodbye to my favorite foods, I set about learning to make them at home. Korean food was one of the first cuisines I tackled. I love serving these skewers with rice, kimchi, and some extra gochujang on the side. For a real treat, wrap everything up in a sheet of nori for a Korean taco, like in the photo below! If you can’t find gochujang or you don’t like the ingredients in the store-bought stuff, use miso in the marinade instead or make your own. It’s an indispensable condiment in our house!
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons gochujang or light miso
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (flap steak or flank steak works well here, too)
Canola or other neutral oil
To serve (optional):
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Cilantro or mint leaves
Kimchi
Extra gochujang
Cooked rice
Nori (seaweed sheets), optional
