Korean Bulgogi Grilled Flatiron Steak with Bok Chi

A few simple things have made me happy this week. The first being 8p on a summer night in my neighborhood. Last night as I walked the dog, the birds chirped and the sun set over the mountains casting a perfect glow. It was quiet so quiet. Less the almost imperceptible hum of cars in the distance all I could hear was my footsteps. The wonderful thing about 8p is almost everyone is home with their families. It's a time of peace and I thought lucky me to be walking under 100 year old maple trees in this kind of quiet so I kept walking. How often in life do you just walk with no time constraints or goals? Not often enough. So last night I enjoyed the simple act of walking in a place I love.

The second thing that made me happy is food. Who knew?! I do hereby declare food makes me really happy. I'm particularly smitten with this Korean grilled steak marinated overnight in chili paste, garlic, ginger, sugar, and soy. This is one of the great wonders of the world. Both Blake and I declared it one of our favorite meals in recent history. It doesn't even contain cheese, bread, or pasta and yet I want to eat it again and again. The bok choy overrunning my garden was turned into what I'm calling bok chi, like kimchi, but without the cabbage or the fermentation. The bok chi was pretty dreamy in of itself, like Channing Tatum dreamy, but real and attainable. Add a quick pickled cucumber and you may never eat anything else again.

Korean Bulgogi Grilled Flatiron Steak with Bok Chi
Serves 4, adapted from The Kitchn
*Note steak and bok chi should marinade overnight

For the steak
3 tbs chili paste (should be in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores)
3 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger, peeled
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp pepper
3 tbs oil
3 tbs of chives
1 1/2 flatiron steak

In a food processor or blender, process until smooth chili paste, garlic, ginger, sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, oil, and chives. Pour half over steak in a shallow pan or tupperware, cover, and let marinade overnight. Save other half of the marinade. After the overnight marinade, heat your grill to medium high heat and grill steak 3-5 minutes on each side. Serve over rice with reserved marinade drizzled on top.

Bok chi
3/4-1 lb bok choy, chopped
3 tbs salt
2 tsps grated ginger
4 cloves grated garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (while not the same, fish sauce would be good here as a substitute)
3 tbs red pepper flakes
3 tbs chives, chopped
2 tbs water

Salt cabbage and massage it in with your hands. Let stand for an hour. Rinse in a colander after it has sat.

In a small bowl, whisk together ginger, garlic, sugar, oyster sauce, red pepper flakes, chives, and water. Combine the mixture with the bok choy and let sit overnight. Serve on the side of your steak.

To serve
2 cups cooked rice
Quick pickled cucumber for some nice zip