Did you know the peak season for asparagus is April to June? Look for bright green stalks that are firm with tight tips. I enjoy this delicious and healthy spring vegetable in any form.
Here, I used them in a traditional Korean dish called sanjeok. It is a variety of jeok – skewered meat and vegetables. Some jeok varieties are egg-battered, but sanjeok is not. Depending on the ingredients used, they are called gogi (beef) sanjeok, tteok (rice cake) sanjeok, songi (mushrooms) sanjeok, pa (scallions) sanjeok, etc. They are traditionally served on holidays and special occasions.
Growing up in Korea, my parents always made gogi (beef or pork only) sanjeok for those special days. It was always my father’s job to thread the meat onto the skewers – he took the job very seriously to make sure all the pieces were the same length and lined up evenly on the skewer.
Today, this dish is enjoyed casually any time of the year. As with any skewered/kebab dish, you can have fun with it by mixing up different meats and vegetables.
2 – 3 servings
Ingredients:
9 asparagus stalks (at least medium thickness for easier threading)
1/2 pound lean beef (tenderloin, sirloin, rib eye)
4 King mushrooms (optional)
For beef:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine
For vegetables:
2 -3 teaspoons sesame oil for each vegetable
salt and pepper to taste
sesame seeds or chopped pine nuts for garnish
6 skewers (4 to 5-inch long)
Cut the beef into 1/4-inch thick and 5-inch long strips to create about 12 pieces. Combine with the seasoning and marinate for about 30 minutes. (Cut the beef and mushrooms longer than asparagus, by about an inch, because they will shrink more.)
Remove the tough ends of the asparagus. Cut into about 4-inch lengths. Blanch them in salted boiling water just to soften, about a minute. (This will keep them from breaking when threading.) Shock in cold water and drain. Cut the mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick and 5-inch long strips. Rub each vegetable with the sesame oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.
Thread the meat and vegetables onto the skewers.
Heat a large pan with a little bit of oil (1 teaspoon) over medium high heat. Place the skewers in the pan. Cook each side until the meat and vegetables are cooked through and slightly caramelized, 2 – 3 minutes each side.
You may also like:
Galbijjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs)
Tteok Sanjeok (Skewered Rice Cake with Beef and Vegetables)
Gaji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Eggplants)
Pressure Cooker Braised Oxtail (Kkorijjim)
Wanjajeon (Pan-fried Meatballs in Egg Batter)
Chwinamul Bokkeum (Stir-fried Aster Scaber)
Sigeumchi Namul (Korean Spinach Side Dish)
Yukjeon (Pan-fried Battered Beef)
I have also already started to cook with asparagus this year, but I would never think of pairing it with eringi (or King oyster mushroom). This is one of my favourite mushrooms and I am lucky to have it available here almost all year round (even though it's quite expensive). I will certainly steal your idea one day! Thank you for contstant inspiration.
Thanks so much for checking out my post. It's always nice when friends drop by to say hello. I appreciate your friendship and support these last 2 years more than I can say. Sorry I haven't visited as often as I'd like to, as I truly have been up to my neck with book writing projects. In spite of my absence, you remain one of my favourite bloggers.
Btw - your beef and asparagus skewers are actually making my stomach growl. Piles of beautiful asparagus are starting to invade the supermarkets and this is a lovely way to enjoy them. Thanks for the idea!
Susan Ma