Recipes to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Esther Choi
Going on vacation with your whole family or big group can be expensiveand eating out for every meal can add up quickly. Luckily, by staying in a Vrbo you don’t have to compromise ontaste and can still enjoy a delicious dining experience in the comfort of your vacation home.
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we’ve partnered with chefs from different backgrounds to share their favoriterecipes and top tips on creating a delicious crowd-pleasing meal that can be made in any kitchen and enjoyed together with your favorite people.
Esther Choi, Chef and Owner of mŏkbar and mŏkbar Brooklyn
Esther Choi is a chef and entrepreneur driven her Korean roots. Inspired family, especially her Korean grandmother’s cooking, Esther believes that food is the ultimate expression of aculture. Her passion and love of sharing her heritage, led her to become a chef to educate and introduce people to the flavors and culture of Korean food.
“I believe that food is the ultimate expression of a culture.”
Esther’s go-to meal when coming together with her family and friends is Korean BBQ, the ultimate celebratory meal.
“Every household has their own ‘Korean BBQ sauce’ recipe. It’s special in that it is unique to Korean culture, not only the recipes but the way of eating. It is experiential eating at its finest. It’s a shared meal with friends and family, even strangers – everyone is welcome. I remember growing up eating this meal at church every Sunday, and every celebration that we had at home always started with Korean BBQ. It is so special to not only my family, but to Korean culture as a whole.”
Esther’s Korean BBQ
Korean BBQ Marinade
Ingredients
2lb kalbi short ribs or any cut of protein you want
2 cup of Soy Sauce
1 cup fruit, pear, apple and even watermelon works great
1 cup onion
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup of toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 cup of Sugar
1/4 cup of Fish Sauce
Method
- In a blender add soy sauce, fruit, onion, garlic, toasted sesame oil, sugar and fish sauce. Blend until well incorporated.
- Add to protein and marinade in a bowl and make sure everything is submerged well. Marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat grill to 375 degrees and grill until preferred doneness, flipping from time to time.
- Serve with rice, lettuce wraps, dipping sauces, buns, kimchi, etc.
Watermelon Rind Kimchi
Ingredients
1 watermelon rinds, peeled and diced about 6 cups
1 cup flesh of watermelon
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup gochugaru (Korean red chile pepper flakes)
¼cup fish sauce
2 tbspn garlic, minced
2 tbspn scallions, chopped
2 tbspn Sesame seeds
Method
- Add salt and rice vinegar to the watermelon rind and let it sit for 20 minutes until moisture drains.
- Blend the flesh of watermelon until pureed and transfer to a bowl. Add the gochugaru, fish sauce, garlic, scallions, and sesame seeds to the watermelon puree and mix well.
- Drain the watermelon rind and rinse. Squeeze out all the moisture from the rind and add to a bowl. Make sure it is dried well.
- Add the sauce until well incorporated. Enjoy right away or let it sit at room temperature overnight to ferment if desired. Refrigerate.
Steak Fried Rice
Ingredients
½ lb steak, chopped
¼ lb smoked bacon, chopped
1 tbspn bone marrow, optional
1 onion
4 eggs
2 tbspn butter
2 stalks scallion, chopped
2 cups cooked white rice, room temperature
1 tbspn fish sauce
1 tbspn soy sauce
1 tbspn toasted sesame oil
4 eggs
Optional Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, fresh scallions, nori
Method
- Melt butter in a skillet and add the scallion whites and saute until fragrant
- Add the bacon and cook until crispy, add onion, steak and bone marrow and saute
- Separate eggs and mix egg yolks to white rice
- Add rice to the pan and incorporate well, add a well in the center and add sesame oil and cook egg whites until 75% cooked. Mix into the rest of the rice.
- Add seasoning (fish sauce, soy sauce)
- To finish garnish with sesame seeds, scallion greens, and nori