Your Ultimate Guide to Authentic Korean BBQ at Home

Step 1

Plan your Korean BBQ. If you are using marinated meat, marinate it according to the recipe; normally, this should be done the night before at least (see post for recipe suggestions). Prepare side dishes such as kimchi, pickled radish, and others; these can be bought from a Korean grocer or ideally made in advance. (Kimchi should be made at least one week prior, and other side dishes should be prepared 1-2 days before to save time on the day of barbecuing.)

Step 2

Set the table. Place the stove and grill plate in the center of the table. Set up your banchan (Korean side dishes), dipping sauces, and other ingredients on the table before cooking the meat so that, as it gets cooked, you can start eating right away. Place the serving plates and chopsticks for each individual, as well as the utensils, on the table.

Step 3

Grill. Turn on the stove and begin grilling your meat and your choice of vegetables. If cooking both non-marinated and marinated meat, try grilling the non-marinated meats first to minimize smoke and prevent the grill from burning too quickly. If the pieces of meat are too big for a single bite, cut them smaller using kitchen scissors.For vegetables, grill them on the edge of the grill as needed.To keep juice loss at a minimum, don’t flip the meat too much. Start moving the meat off the grill as it cooks or move it to the edge of the grill, so it cooks at a slower pace.

Step 4

Make "Ssam". Make bite-sized lettuce wraps by wrapping the meat in your choice of leafy vegetables; lettuce and perilla leaves are most common. Simply lay the lettuce flat and layer pickled radish on top of the greens, with grilled meat and dipping sauce on top, and gather the wrap for a bite.For neatness while enjoying, make sure to avoid making oversized wraps; it's better to savor them in one bite!

Step 5

Grill more meat, refill the side dishes and sauces as needed. Make more ssam, and enjoy!