Asian cuisine has always been popular – but never like today. Food that hails from Asia is not only delicious but diverse – exploring many cultures and types of ingredients, from Mongolian barbecues, Japanese street food, to amazing Korean ribs and deeper dives into Sichuan, Hunan or Hong-Kong-style specialties. Asia represents a never-ending list of mouth-watering choices.
Grilling options are indeed unlimited so that you can put any of your preferences on its grates! Ceramic Kamado grills that are made based on traditional Asian cooking techniques are perfect for such dishes – you can find reviews and more information about them at https://outdoorcookingpros.com. If you want to recreate the authentic taste of street food that’s made outdoors, this is a great tool to have!
We have put together a list of some great fusion-inspired recipes. It’s easy to find ingredients for them, even if you don’t have an Asian market in your neighborhood.
Grilled Corn with Miso Butter
Corn is a perfect side dish, and if you think that miso paste can be used for the namesake soup, you cannot be more wrong. It can be used for marinades, dressings, sauces and comes in sweet and spicy blends. It is a very simple recipe with an subtle (but tasty) Japanese touch!
To prepare a miso butter that will be enough for four ears of corn, you will need:
- 4 tbsp of warm butter;
- 1 tbsp of miso paste of your choice;
- 1 tbsp of honey;
- 2 tsp of low-sodium soy sauce;
- Pinch of salt.
Mix the ingredients in a bowl while you are waiting for a grill to heat up. Then spread the miso butter evenly all over the corn and save the rest of it for brushing the corn while grilling. Put corn on a grill, greased with olive oil, and let it cook for about 15 minutes – make sure you are turning it to cook all the sides evenly. When ready, you can serve it with an extra portion of miso butter aside and garnish with chopped green onions. Viola!
Bulgogi Beef
It is a Korean dish that is known for its peculiar sizzling flavor. It is recommended to marinate the meat even up to 24 hours, but let it rest for at least 30 minutes before grilling will already improve its taste significantly.
To prepare a bulgogi marinade, you will need:
- 4 tbsp of low-sodium soy sauce;
- 3 tbsp on brown sugar;
- 2 tbsp of roasted sesame oil;
- 5-8 garlic cloves, minced;
- A half of Asian pear, grated;
- 2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and stir till the sugar is dissolved, then add thinly sliced beef and make sure it’s entirely soaked in the marinade. You can also add some thinly sliced carrots and white and green onions to marinade along with the beef to make it even more flavorful.
Heat your grill to a high temperature and spread some sesame oil on the grates evenly. Now you can cook the meat in a single layer. It will not take more than 5 minutes to be thoroughly cooked as it’s thinly sliced.
You can serve bulgogi beef with steamed rice and veggies, garnished with some more spring onions and roasted sesame seeds on top. You can also make an additional side dish for this meal by grilling some green beans with the rest of the marinade or just a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper. Thus, you will have not only a tasty but also balanced and nutritious meal to enjoy!
Char Siu Chicken
This Chinese dish is known due to its vibrant red color and frequently is served as an appetizer in restaurants, so making it at home is an excellent opportunity to get a proper amount of it!
For the marinade, you will need:
- 4 tbsp of ketchup;
- 4 tbsp of brown sugar;
- 4 tbsp of honey;
- 4 tbsp of low-sodium soy sauce;
- 2 tbsp of Sriracha hot sauce;
- 2 tbsp of rice wine;
- 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce;
- 1 tsp of roasted sesame oil;
- One small beetroot, peeled and chopped.
The next steps in making Char Siu chicken are:
- Mix all ingredients and blend them to a puree to make the marinade.
- Soak the chicken in the mixture and let it get infused with flavors for at least 30 minutes (but better overnight).
- Put the grill on medium heat, clean the meat from excess marinade to place it on a grill, and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil.
- Cook it for about 15 minutes, but remember to give it a flip every couple of minutes to make sure it cooks evenly and is getting caramelized.
It goes perfectly with rice as well as stir-fried noodles that can be prepared in the meantime of grilling meat, so feel free to choose what you like most. Bon appetit!
Conclusion
Asian cuisine is famous for tastes that are unforgettable. You do not have to be a fan of spicy food to enjoy those recipes as the ingredients can be easily adjusted to your taste and substituted with more sweet than sour ones.
Trying something unusual and new always has a chance to bring some innovations to your cooking routine. Exploring different cuisines makes a cookout or a barbecue so much more interesting and tasty!