Korean BBQ Pork

When I lived in San Francisco's Diamond Heights district we would frequent a place called Hahn's Hibachi. This Korean BBQ restaurant served Everest sized plates of barbecue, and one of our favorites was the "Pile O' Pork." Last night I pulled a couple of pork loin chops out of the freezer and decided to attempt to replicate the Korean barbecue flavor of Hahn's pork. It turned out perfectly - so sweet yet tangy, with that lovely sesame aroma. Served with some jasmine rice, this is an excellent summer meal.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 cup water
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper*
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
6 thin cut pork chops*

In a bowl combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, onion powder, water, garlic, green onions, red pepper, vinegar, ginger, and shallots. Add a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Whisk the marinade ingredients together well.

Place the pork in a resealable bag, add the marinade. Seal the bag and rub the marinade into the pork. Let the pork marinate for at least 30 minutes, overnight if possible.

Remove the pork from the bag, reserving the marinade. Put the left over marinade into a pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, than reduce heat to medium and simmer while the pork cooks on the grill.

Preheat a grill to medium high, and oil the grates. This is an important step - the pork will stick if the grill is not oiled. For more on proper barbecueing tips, visit Steven Raichlen's site. This guy is the authority on everything grilled. Grill the pork for several minutes per side, until cooked through.

Add the cooked pork to the pan with the leftover marinade, and toss the pork to coat. You can simmer the pork and sauce combination for a few minutes while you prepare the table - this adds even more flavor to the meat.

Serve pork and sauce over jasmine rice.

* I use crushed red pepper to add heat to this dish, and I like about 1 tbsp. Depending on your tolerance for heat, add more red pepper or explore the wonderful world of Capsicum annuum and thrown in a Thai chili. Hahn used several cuts of pork in his Pile O' Pork, and you can do the same. I used loin chops, but shoulder blade chops and/or ribs work well. Check out this site for more information on the various cuts of pork: Guide to Meat Cuts: Pork. If you make this for a party, double or triple the marinade recipe and use ribs, loin chops, and blade chops to add a little variety.