Each month I’m highlighting a different non-Ina cookbook – these can be old favorites, classics I need to try, or new books I’m excited about. I’ll make at least one recipe from each chapter of the book to get an overall flavor of each. For the month of May, the book is Eric Kim’s Korean American. I hope you’ll cook along with me! The book is available for purchase here.
Roasted Bo Ssam with Coffee, Garlic and Bay Leaves
Learn a lesson from me: I accidentally bought 1.25 pounds of thickly sliced boneless pork belly rather than the uncut pork belly slab the recipe calls for. To remedy this, I tied all the slices together to recreate a “slab” prior to coating it in the coffee, garlic, and bay leave rub. It worked pretty well but try to find a slab and save yourself the headache! The pork belly is roasted and the resulting meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender and juicy, and the rub so flavorful. The bo ssam is served with onions that have been soaked in a soy, vinegar, and wasabi mixture which helps cut the fattiness of the pork. It’s topped with homemade ssamjang and served with sliced garlic, salted fermented shrimp, and rice wrapped up in a lettuce leaf.
Book: Korean American, page 227
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: —
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe is not online.
Sheet-Pan Japchae with Roasted Wild Mushrooms
For this mix of deliciousness, wild mushrooms and scallions are roasted before being tossed with cooked dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles) and a sauce made of sesame oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and garlic. This was my first time trying dangmyeon and I love the chewy bite paired with the caramelized, crispy-edged mushrooms in the slightly sweet sauce.
Book: Korean American, page 231
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles)
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe on Atlanta Magazine.
Aunt Georgia’s Soy Fried Chicken with Jalapeños
You had me at twice-fried chicken (Let’s be honest, it had me at fried chicken), but that’s just one trick that creates the supremely crunchy and satisfying chicken – the other is the genius potato starch coating! I was in awe of the crispy and crunchy crust encasing the perfectly tender and juicy chicken. And while the chicken was phenomenal on its own, the sweet-spicy soy, garlic, and jalapenos glaze takes it to the next level. The recipe is easily one of my favorite homemade fried chickens! It checks all the boxes and may be the only home-fried chicken recipe I ever need!
Book: Korean American, page 239
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: dark brown sugar
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe on Penguin Random House.
Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots
Thinly sliced ribeye, season with a lemon pepper mixture containing sugar and garlic powder is seared in a scorching skillet until cooked with crispy edges – each batch takes just over a minute to cook. Topped with pickled shallots (my favorite), jalapenos and cilantro, the dish is delicious served with rice.
Book: Korean American, page 240
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: —
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe on Rachael Ray
Clementine 50/50
This cocktail is a mixture of half soju and half vermouth flavored with the juice of a clementine. I loved the soju/clementine combo, but the vermouth (which I enjoy as a background flavor) seemed to overwhelm the drink. I may try different portions next time!
Book: Korean American, page 245
Rating: 4/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: —
Pricey Ingredients: —
Recipe is not online
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