Ground Chicken Larb

This was one of Bon Apetit's simple weekend dinner recipe.  It was fast, easy and delicious.  I doubled the soy sauce, brown sugar, and samba oelek and used half of it on the chicken and to the other half added a dash of rice vinegar and served it as a sauce with the lettuce leaves.

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken--I used ground chicken thigh meat

2 minced garlic gloves
3 scallions thinly sliced white and greens

2 chiles--thai bird eye or jalepeno or serrano or fresno
2 tsp sambal oelek
4 Tbs soy sauce

2 Tbs brown sugar

1/2 red onion
rice vinegar
2 persian cucumbers
steamed rice or Auntie Jen sticky rice bowl

Bibb, butter, romaine or iceberg lettuce leaves 

lime for serving

mint leaves or cilantro or a mixture

Directions

1.  Thinly slice half a red onion and place in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of rice vinegar. Let it hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to eat stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, steam some white rice.
2.  Thinly slice cucumbers.  Season with garlic salt.  Add a few slices of chile.  Add rice vinegar and let it sit.

3.  Stir together soy sauce, sambal oelek or other hot sauce (like sriracha), and brown sugar.
3.  Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add two minced garlic cloves, three thinly sliced scallions (whites and greens), and a couple of sliced chiles sauté for a few minutes.

4.  Add the chicken. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook until chicken is cooked through and browned. Add half of the liquid and cook until the liquid is almost completely reduced.
5.  Serve the larb with rice, lettuce leaves, lime wedges, quick-pickled onions, more sambal oelek, cucumbers, remaining sauce, and torn herbs like cilantro, basil, and mint.

Bulogogi

Yet another recipe from Bon Appetit.  Lot's of ways to serve this and good for all different meats--pork, beef, chicken even short rib.  Key is to cut it very thin and cook in batches.  I made it with hanger steak.  I served it with rice and roasted bok choy.  Try it in lettuce cups or as taco. I made a little extra marinade and set it aside to serve over the rice.

Basic Bulgogi

Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4
¼ pear, grated
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon gochugaru (coarse Korean hot pepper flakes), or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed hanger steak, boneless short rib, or skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Kosher salt
Sliced scallions (for serving)

Preparation
ACTIVE: 20 MIN TOTAL: 50 MIN
1.  Combine pear, garlic, soy sauce, gochugaru, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil in a large resealable plastic bag or medium bowl.

2.  Using a sharp knife, slice meat into very thin strips. Add to marinade, seal bag, and squish everything around until the meat is coated. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes, or chill up to 8 hours. 


3.  Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high until oil is shimmering. Remove half of meat from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag; season lightly with salt and cook in a single layer without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Toss meat and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until cooked through and crisp at edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, remaining meat, and more salt. 


4.  Serve topped with scallions.