Korean Barbecue

This grilling season, skip the same-old fare and "kung fu" your barbecue for a deliciously different taste. What does a Chinese martial arts term mean when it comes to Korean barbecue? According to award-winning Chicago restaurateur Bill Kim, who was born in Korea and raised in the American Midwest-and a fan of Bruce Lee movies-it's all about adapting and perfecting your skills through hard work, creativity and patience. Kim, along with Chandra Ram, does a lot of the "kung fu" work for you in his book, "Korean BBQ," and successfully shows that you don't need to have a background in cooking traditional Korean food to create these recipes. Kim brings the two cultures together and translates the best of Korea's mystifying sauces and rubs in an approachable way for home cooking. Kim's wish is for people to have fun-we're barbecuing here-so gather friends and family, hang out, have a good time and eat really delicious food. That's what life is all about. –Mary Subialka

Honey Soy Flank Steak

This is one amazing steak it’s simple to prepare and you get maximum flavor in a short period of time. Flank steak is a lean cut. So be careful you don’t over-cook it; medium-rare is ideal Piercing the steak with a fork before marinating it is key to getting all of the rich, tangy, sweet flavors of the marinade throughout the meat.

* 1 cup Soy Balsamic Sauce (See recipe down) 

* ½ cup vegetable oil 

* ¼ cup honey 

* 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 

* 1 tablespoon kosher salt  

* 2 teaspoons chili powder 

* 3 ponds flank steak

1.Combine the Soy Balsamic Sauce, oil, honey. vinegar salt and chili powder in a bowl and whisk until well mixed. Place the flank steak in a large, shallow dish and pierce it all over with a fork. Pour the marinade over the steak and turn the steak to coat evenly. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. 

2. Hear the grill for direct heat cooking to medium [350° to 375]. 

3. Place the steak on the grill grate and cook, turning it once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. You can cook it a minute of-two longer if you prefer your steak cooked medium, but flank steak should not be cooked past medium or it will become chewy. 

4. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain, arrange the slices on a serving planer, and serve.

Soy Balsamic Sauce

This recipe is very dear to my heart as it was my first attempt to use ingredients that didn't normally go together, hut made sense to me. In Asian cooking, vinegar is often used to cut saltiness from soy sauce or otter ingredients. For me, balsamic vinegar the perfect mix of sweetness, acidity and body to combine with the brown sugar and soy sauce here.

* 1 teaspoon cornstarch, or as needed 

* 2 tablespoons water cup 

* ¼ dark brown sugar, firmly packed cup 

* ½ balsamic vinegar 

* ½ cup soy wore

1.1n a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch dissolves and the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream, adding more cornstarch if the mixture is too thin.

2.Combinethe brown sugar vinegar and soy sauce in a small sauce-pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, stir the cornstarch mixture briefly m recombine, then stir it into the soy-vinegar mixture and simmer over low heat for about 3 minutes ,until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

3.remove from the heat, let cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container, this sauce will last for months without going had.