Korean Beef Skewers

These grilled Korean beef skewers are a little sweet, a little spicy from the gochujang (which is a Korean chili paste), and full of umami. The best part is that you can have them on the table in about a half hour.

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!

Korean Beef Skewers Recipe

These Korean beef skewers are best when cooked on a grill, but they are also great cooked on the stovetop. Use a very hot cast iron skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

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!

Ingredients

For the steak:

• ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
• ¼ cup mirin
• ¼ 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, optional
• Nori (seaweed sheets), optional

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