Korean BBQ Watermelon Steak with Cucumber Salad
| Serves | 4 |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Watermelon |
| Menu Part | Entree |
| Cuisine Type | Asian |
Chef Karrie Hills
Red Door Restaurant & Wine Bar
San Diego, Calif.
Cauliflower steaks have been trending for several years—now there’s watermelon steak. Chef Karrie Hills of Red Door Restaurant & Wine Bar in San Diego cuts the juicy red melon into thick slices and marinates them in a spicy Korean-accented ssamjang sauce. The watermelon is then grilled and served with a refreshing cucumber salad for a cool and flavorful summer meal.
Ingredients
Ssamjang sauce
¼ cup Korean soy bean paste
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. Korean chile paste
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. honey
Watermelon steak
1 mini watermelon, peeled
2 oz. ssamjang sauce (recipe above)
1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cucumber salad
⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. torn mint leaves
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. black sesame seeds
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small red chile pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Steps
1. For ssamjang sauce, in small bowl, combine all ingredients; set aside.
2. For watermelon steak, peel and slice watermelon into thick 1- by 5-inch pieces. Place in large vacuum seal bag; add 2 ounces ssamjang sauce into bag. Compress and seal bags and let marinate for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, prepare cucumber salad. In medium bowl, mix well vinegar, sesame oil, mint, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Add cucumber, chile and garlic; toss to combine and set aside.
4. Preheat barbecue grill. Remove watermelon from the marinade and grill over high heat, turning frequently for even caramelization.
5. To serve, plate two pieces of watermelon steak with cucumber salad; garnish with watermelon radish and cilantro leaf.
Photo courtesy of National Watermelon Board