Can You Make Korean Barbeque At Home? Essential K-BBQ Guide
Korean BBQ is all the rage. Not only is it positively delicious, but it is also a fun high-protein meal to share with friends. Sitting at a Korean BBQ restaurant can be fun, but it can get pricey fast.
We recommend creating your own Korean BBQ event at your home, which is easy thanks to Kolikof’s Caviar and Gourmet. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to serve your own Korean BBQ feast at home.
What You Need for Korean BBQ at Home
Surprisingly, Korean BBQ is one of the easier Asian meals to recreate in your home. Not only is Korean cooking straightforward, but it also allows for a lot of personal preference, allowing you to substitute ingredients with ease.
That being said, there are a few essential items you will need to recreate Korean BBQ at home, and they are as follows:
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A portable stove or burner (check your local camping store if you don’t have one!)
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A large skillet or pan to place on the burner
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Tongs
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Meat scissors
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Meats of your choice
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Veggies of your choice
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Korean sauces
Of course, there are a few additional items, like small sauce dishes and chopsticks, which will make the experience even more fun, but we find the aforementioned items are the only ones you absolutely need to make your Korean BBQ a success.
Choosing Meats for Korean BBQ
After you have a grill, pan, and tongs, all that is left is to choose the meats you will serve at your Korean BBQ event. There are a few important things to keep in mind as you shop for Korean BBQ meat.
1. Choose Thinly Sliced Meat
Unless you have a meat slicer at home, you will need to order meat that is already thinly sliced. Not only does this make it easy and safe to cook in a social setting, but this also makes it a little less expensive per person you plan to feed.
Bulgogi is the most famous of the Korean-style thinly sliced meats, but other options include Korobuta (pork belly) and Galbi (short ribs).
2. Choose Marbled Meats
When cooking thinly sliced meats over an open grill, the meat can get tough and dry really fast. To counteract this, ensure you are choosing marbled meats. This way, as the meat cooks, the fat will melt and keep the meat nice and tender.
Kolikof’s beef Bulgogi is made from wagyu, ensuring you have the best marbling for your money.
3. Don’t Forget Seafood!
It can be easy to associate Korean BBQ with only the famous marbled beef and pork belly, but seafood is also an important aspect. We recommend grabbing some fresh prawns or shrimp to ensure your guests have plenty of options.
4. Choose Grill-Friendly Veggies
Once you have selected your meats, it is time to choose the veggies. Onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and garlic are all fan favorites and are easy for guests to grill on their own. You can also add more complicated veggies, like squash, bell peppers, and eggplant, if you want a little more variety. Just know that guests may need guidance for grilling these items.
You can also prepare large leaves of lettuce for your guests to prepare their own wraps. This can be helpful if you are trying to make the amount of meat you ordered go further than having guests just eat it straight from the grill.
5. Cook Rice
Rice is a staple in Korean cooking, and a BBQ meal is no exception. Rice is generally prepared in advance and left in a rice cooker to stay warm and for easy access. We recommend planning on one ½ cup of uncooked rice for each guest you plan to invite.
6. Prepare Sides
Remember, sides are often what makes or breaks Korean BBQ! At a bare minimum, you should plan to have kimchi, spicy cucumber salad, and gamja-salad (Korean potato salad) available for your guests. Most of these items can be found at local Asian stores or ordered online.
If you want to be truly authentic, we recommend also including seasoned dried squid, radish kimchi, and kelp noodle salad.
7. Offer Sauces
No Korean BBQ event is complete without sauces! We recommend purchasing these from a local Asian store as they can be difficult to make on your own. At a minimum, plan to offer at least three of the following sauces:
8. Prepare Authentic Drinks
The last thing you need to make your evening a success is to serve authentic Korean drinks! These can be anything from Soju to authentic Korean beer or even fun fruity sodas!
How Much Meat Per Person for Korean BBQ?
As you plan your Korean BBQ event, you may be wondering just how many pounds of meat you need to order. The general guideline is to order at least ½ pound per person, though if you know your friends are heavy eaters, you can up it to 1 pound per each adult. For kids, generally ½ pound is enough.
Is Korean BBQ Always Cook-It-Yourself?
When you head to a Korean BBQ restaurant, you will always be cooking it yourself—as this is what makes Korean BBQ unique! But, when you are preparing a meal at home on your own, it is totally okay if you would like to cook all of the meat on behalf of all your guests. This can be an alternative option if you don’t have a camping stove or single burner to place on the table.
Where Can You Buy Ingredients for Korean BBQ?
For your Korean BBQ evening, you will likely need to head to a local Asian store, as the average big-box grocery store won’t sell what you need to make your evening a success.
If you don’t have an Asian grocery near you, Kolikof Caviar and Gourmet can help. Not only do they offer all the authentic Korean meats you need to make your evening a success, but they also offer seafood, caviar, serving utensils, and more.