I use this recipe all the time: to marinate salmon (during cooking), chicken drumsticks (for several hours), and even pounded flank steak (overnight). It is, of course, most delicious used on the quintessential Korean BBQ meat called Bul Go Gi (literally translated: fire meat) that you can find at the Korean grocery store.
In true Korean fashion, the original recipe is for 10 pounds of meat, because what Korean would make Bul Go Gi without inviting a few friends over? Koreans like to eat together. I like to make the big batch and keep it in the fridge for convenience. If you’re not familiar with the flavor of Korean BBQ, it is very similar to Trader Joe’s Very Soyaki Marinade. I thank my mother’s friend Young Cho Park for this recipe.
Bul Go Gi Marinade (10 pounds)
10 #thinly sliced beef
2 1/2 c soy sauce
2 c toasted sesame oil
1/2 c wine
2 c sugar
2-3 bunches scallions, chopped
3 1/2 T ginger, minced
1 1/4 T garlic, minced
1 T black pepper
4 T sesame seed powder
Mix the above ingredients together, except for the meat. Marinate the meat for at least three hours or overnight in the refrigerator. If you like you can grate a pear into the marinade; that will help tenderize beef.