Korean BBQ Burnt Ends
Neil Nijjer is a private chef in North Vancouver, Canada, who loves using fresh West Coast ingredients.
This year the Lunar New Year, celebrated in Asian cultures, began on January 29th and launched the start of a 15-day festival celebrating the arrival of spring. In Korea, the Lunar New Year is known as Seollal, and is a time for family gatherings, meals, weddings, and other festive events.
This recipe for Korean BBQ Burnt Ends requires a smoker, which can be can set up if you have nearly any type of grill. Use hickory or cherry wood for smoking if you can. Though the total smoking time is about 5 hours, seasoning the beef and preparing the sauce takes only minutes. A wonderful dish to celebrate all the festive meals to come in the new year.
Ingredients
For the burnt ends:
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1.4-1.8 kg (3–4 lb) chuck roast cut into 5 cm (2 inch) cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Korean BBQ Sauce:
- 120 ml (½ cup) gochujang
- 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
- 60 ml (¼ cup) honey
- 60 ml (¼ cup) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2.5 cm (1-inch) fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 scallions, sliced (for garnish)
For serving:
- Steamed rice
- Kimchi
- Pickled vegetables
Preparation
- For the burnt ends: Preheat a smoker to 121°C (250°F) using hickory or cherry wood. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Coat the beef cubes with oil, then season evenly with the spice mix.
2. Place the beef cubes on the smoker grates and smoke for 3 hours, or until they develop a dark crust and reach an internal temperature of around 74°C (165°F). Toward the end of smoking, prepare the Korean BBQ Sauce.
3. For the Korean BBQ Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine gochujang, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, mirin, and red pepper flakes. Stir until smooth and thickened slightly.
4. Transfer the smoked beef cubes to a foil pan. Pour the Korean BBQ sauce over the meat and toss to coat evenly. Cover the pan tightly with foil and return to the smoker at 135°C (275°F) for another 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and internal temperature is about 93°C (200°F).
5. Remove the foil, stir the meat, and let it cook uncovered for another 30 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize. Stir occasionally.
6. For serving: Transfer to a platter and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve with steamed rice, kimchi, and/or pickled vegetables.
Neil Nijjer
Neil Nijjer is a private chef in North Vancouver, Canada, who loves using fresh West Coast ingredients. Neil began cooking as a child, watching and helping his Dad in the kitchen. His passion to feed the masses began early, from feeding the neighborhood kids to hosting big Fijian family parties. Neil started @the_o_g_kitchen to share his unique take on cooking classic comfort foods and Island-style curries in hybrid masala blends.
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