Lately I’ve been exploring “fusion” cuisine. Fusion cuisine is exactly what the name suggests, the fusion of cuisines, cooking styles, ingredients, and tastes.
One of the most popular fusion cuisines is called Pacific Rim, it’s the blending of dishes, ingredients, and styles from areas all around the Pacific Ocean. Perfect examples would be Alaskan Salmon with Miso Glaze (Alaska meets Japanese cuisine), Kinilaw Poke (Filipino/Hawaiian ceviche), and Korean Beef Tacos (Korea meets Mexico).
Of course it’s not limited to Pacific Rim, the combinations are endless. Have you tried Mongolian Beef Or Adobo Pizza? Sounds weird I know but trust me they’re really good!
Lately Grilled Sandwich shops are popping up everywhere. They take a humble grilled cheese sandwich, everyone’s favorite comfort food, and have turned it into a variety of amazing sandwiches. Think Lobster Melt, Patty Melt, and Reubens! Or how about a Grilled Caprese Piandina or a Roast Beef and Gruyère Panini?
They all are yummy! What’s not to like? Who can resist a crunchy sandwich filled with gooey stringy cheese?
That’s why I decided to try a my hand at a Korean style grilled sandwich. The sweet spicy beef blends well with the savory saltiness of the melted cheese. Place all this between 2 slices crunchy bread and you’ve got a delicious sandwich!
This sandwich requires a bit more prepping that and average grilled cheese sandwich. The meat filling must be marinated and cooked before building the sandwich. But it is so worth the time. It’s become a family fave. I’m sure it will become a favorite in your family too!
Grilled Bulgogi Sandwiches (Grilled Korean Beef Sandwiches)
Ingredients
- 2 ribeye or filet mignon steaks - very thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp gochujang paste
- 1 small piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice wine or mirin
- 3 garlic cloves - peeled and minced
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 grated Asian apple peel on (use a delicious apple if you can’t find the Asian apple)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 used the bag of varied color peppers from Costco), remove seeds and slice thinly
- 1 jalapeño remove seeds and thinly sliced
- 8 thick slices of bread from a large
- loaf I use either the Japanese style or the farmhouse loaf
- 1 stick salted butter, softened
- ¼ tsp sesame seeds
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 green onions sliced into thin rounds
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise, optional
- 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce , optional
Instructions
- Place steak strips in a bowl and add the soy sauce, gochujang, ginger,sugar, rice wine, 2 of the minced garlic cloves, black pepper, grated apple and sesame oil.
- Mix together, cover and allow to marinate for 30minutes (place in the fridge if marinating for longer than that).
- Once the steak has finishedmarinating, heat the vegetable oilon a high heat in a large frying pan.
- Remove the steak from the bowl and add steak in to heated oil. (Discard marinade)
- Fry for 4-5 minutes turning occasionally until and just starting to caramelize (if there’s a lot of liquid in the pan drain and continue to fry the steak). Fry steak until the edges start to get a bit crisp.
- Remove the steak from the pan and let rest on a plate.
- Add the sliced peppers to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Remove from the pan. Mix with the steak and set aside.
- Build the Sandwich
- Preheat the sandwich press or large frying pan on a high heat.
- Take the slices of bread and spread the softened butter onto one side of each piece.
- Place 4 of the pieces of bread, butter-side-down onto a plate.
- Divide the cooked steak mixture, sesame seedsand grated cheese between each piece of bread.
- Sprinkle on the red onion, jalapenos and springonions.
- Spread softened butted on one side of each remaining bread slices.
- Place bread slices on top of steak filling. Make sure the buttered side is facing out.
- If using a press place the sandwiches on the sandwich press and pull the lid down. (You may have to make sandwiches one or two at a time depending on size of press)
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, checking occasionally, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
- If using a frying pan place sandwiches on heated pan and cook about 3 minutes, press sandwiches down with a spatula or cast iron press.
- Once the first side is golden brown flip sandwiches over and cook second side until golden brown and cheese has melted.
- While sandwiches are grilling mix together the mayonnaise and remaining minced garlic.
- Once sandwiches are grilled remove from pan and open the tops of the grilled sandwiches and drizzle on the garlic mayo and the sweet chili sauce. This step is optional. The sandwiches are great without the toppings.
- Slice sandwiches in half and serve.
- If you don’t use all the steak mixture or don’t need 4 sandwiches you can store the cooked steak in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- To use heat the steak mixture before building the sandwiches. Then grill as above.
- Enjoy!
