I bet you think we’d forgotten about our friend, the mysterious jar of kimchi, that we’d left it fermenting, forgotten and lonely, in that section of the fridge behind the leftover pizza and next to that hard cider someone brought over and never finished. But no, my friends. Not only have we achieved kimchi success (at least to our ignorant Western palettes), but we’ve made it into a component of a meal that’s quite nice, if we do say so ourselves. This meal offers everything – sweet, sticky barbecued meat; cool, refreshing slaw; and a satisfying bed of white rice with which to soak up all the flavor inherent in this magnificent bowl of food. Totally worth the two week wait.

How is the kimchi on it’s own? Pretty friggin’ good, but challenging in a way that many of the most divisive foods are. The spiciness (not terrible, but certainly present) will turn off some, and the pungent smell and strong taste will faze others of the Nancy-boy variety. But man, I love it. The chili powder provides a rich, deep flavor, and the fermentation process brings the cabbage, garlic, carrots, and scallions to a nice softness without turning the whole business into mush. It’s great heated up with white rice, or sampled straight from the jar when you wander through the kitchen, as I did most days during the two-week self-imposed waiting period. It’s a great side dish for this meal, and presented without any fuss.

Bulgogi with Slaw and Kimchi

Bulgogi is Korea’s name for marinated barbecued beef – nothing overly adventurous, or even difficult in terms of ingredient finding. The difference from what we’re used to comes from the ingratiating sweetness that comes from an extended dip in mirin, garlic, and ginger, among other common Asian marinade ingredients. It’s the perfect counterpart/relief to the pungent hit of kimchi. I pan-seared it, but you can thread it onto some skewers and grill it as well. With one, you get the cooked-down sweetness of the marinade covering the beef during the cooking process. With the other, you get a nice smoky flavor that adds a new dimension to the beef. You can’t go wrong.

The Setup

Beef and Marinade
- 1 lb ribeye, sliced thin diagonally across the grain
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1/2 medium onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- Black pepper

Slaw
- 1 lb red or Napa cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp Kochukaru (the Korean chili flakes you used in the kimchi)
- 1 tsp garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 green onion, sliced thin
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2-4 tbsp Mayo, to add texture

Serve With …
- Your well-aged kimchi
- Plenty of cooked white rice

Cooking

1. Mix the soy, sugar, sesame oil, mirin, onion, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, and black pepper. Whisk to combine, and pour over the meat in a large plastic bag or other container. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

2. Toss the cabbage in the tablespoon of salt and let stand for 20 minutes.

3. Mix the fish sauce, vinegar, chile flakes, garlic, ginger, sugar, scallions, and sesame seeds. Add mayo a tablespoon at a time to achieve the texture you like. Set aside until cabbage is done curing.

4. Remove the meat from the marinade and cook via your method of choice (skillet, grill pan, skewered on the grill, etc.) over medium to medium-high heat until well-browned, 1-3 minutes per side.

5. Drain the water from the cabbage and rinse. Squeeze the excess water out of the cabbage and toss with the dressing.

6. Serve the bulgogi and slaw over a bed of white rice, with the kimchi (heated up in a saucepan) and more white rice as a side dish. Revel in your wordliness, then make another batch of kimchi – you’re going to have to wait a week or so, after all.