Boards Around the World Korean BBQ Charcuterie Board
Around the World
Korean BBQ Charcuterie Board
Korean barbecue is already a sharing meal, so it moves naturally onto a board: marinated meats, a row of banchan and a wrap station of lettuce, perilla and ssamjang.
- Serves
- 8–10
- Board
- 16–18 inch
- Prep
- 25–30 min
- Cost
- $50–$75
- Level
- Intermediate
Plan a board in the Board Builder Pick ingredients and your guest count, free.
What's on the board
Cheese
- Low-moisture mozzarella
Meat
- Bulgogi beef
- Spicy pork (jeyuk bokkeum)
- Korean fried chicken
- Thin-sliced beef tongue
Sauces
- Gochujang
- Doenjang
- Sesame oil dipping sauce
- Ssamjang
Wraps
- Perilla leaves (kkaennip)
- Butter lettuce
- Roasted seaweed sheets
Banchan
- Kimchi
- Yellow pickled radish (danmuji)
- Seasoned bean sprouts
- Cucumber kimchi
Extras
- Korean rice balls (jumeokbap)
- Toasted sesame seeds
Amounts and prices for each item are in the book.
Why it works
The heart of this board is ssam: guests wrap a piece of meat in lettuce or a perilla leaf with a dab of ssamjang. Sweet-savory bulgogi, spicy gochujang pork, crunchy fried chicken and grilled beef tongue give four very different bites, and the sesame-oil-and-salt dip is the classic partner for the tongue.
Banchan do the balancing. Sour kimchi and cucumber kimchi cut through the fatty meats, sweet-sour yellow radish adds crunch, and mild bean sprouts and rice balls give the palate a rest. A little mozzarella melted over the spicy pork, a favorite in Korean restaurants, softens the chili heat.
Timeline
- 30 min beforeDrain the marinated meats and set out the banchan.
- 20 min beforeCook the bulgogi, pork and tongue; reheat the chicken.
- 15 min beforeRest the meats; wash and dry the lettuce and perilla.
- 5 min beforeArrange the banchan and fill the sauce bowls.
- Serving timeAdd the warm meats and scatter sesame seeds.
The seven-step placement plan (what goes where, and why) is in the book.
New book
Build it exactly, with the new book
This board's exact shopping list with amounts and prices, the prep countdown, all seven placement steps, five swaps and five upgrades are in Charcuterie Lab: Around the World in 16 Boards, with 15 more international boards.
Questions
Where do I find perilla leaves and ssamjang?
Korean grocery stores such as H Mart carry fresh perilla leaves (kkaennip) in the produce section and ssamjang in tubs next to the gochujang. If you can't find perilla, use extra lettuce with a few mint and basil leaves.
Can I buy the meats already marinated?
Yes. Korean markets sell bulgogi and spicy pork marinated and ready to cook, and thin-sliced beef tongue in the freezer section. Cook them in a hot skillet in batches so they brown instead of steaming.
What should I drink with Korean BBQ?
Makgeolli, a lightly fizzy, tangy Korean rice wine, is a great match, as are soju and a cold lager. For wine, try an off-dry Riesling or a fruity Gamay.
Can I make this board less spicy?
Keep the gochujang and spicy pork in one corner and lean on bulgogi, fried chicken and the sesame oil dip. Mild banchan like bean sprouts and yellow radish give guests plenty of heat-free options.
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