In a new book, Chef Hugh Mangum — based in Los Angeles, with contributions from Chef May Chow in Hong Kong — compiles barbecue recipes with flavors from around the world. They shared a couple recipes with The World. The post Barbecue recipes — Asian-style appeared first on The World from PRX.
There are some parts of the United States where barbecue is a way of life, with deep pride around the cooking traditions. Styles may vary but the basic idea is: cooking meat, over fire — low and slow.
It’s also a culinary tradition with a global history, obviously infused with flavor from all over the world.
That comes to the forefront in the new cookbook, “Barbecue: Smoked and Grilled Recipes from Across the Globe.”
Chef Hugh Mangum, based in Los Angeles, compiled the recipes in the book, and May Chow, who is a chef in Hong Kong, contributed.
Click the blue player above to listen to a conversation that Host Marco Werman had with both of them.
They shared two recipes with The World that you can try at home.
Korean Short Ribs
Korean galbi is prepared with flanken-style beef short ribs, meaning the rib is cut across and along the bone. This cut became popular among the Los Angeles Korean community and is often known locally in Korean markets and barbecue restaurants as “LA-style.”
The beef is cut into strips and flavored with a sweet-and-savory soy-based marinade, then grilled and served with lettuce leaves and ssamjang (Korean barbecue sauce).
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus at least 1 hour marinating
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
For the marinated beef:
4 cloves garlic
1 onion (7 oz/200 g), coarsely chopped
1 pear (5¾ oz/170 g), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 lb/1.3 kg flanken-style beef short ribs, cut into ½-inch/1-cm-thick strips
For the Korean Barbecue Sauce (makes scant ¾ cup (6 oz/180g):
4 tablespoons doenjang (soybean paste)
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
For serving:
Korean Barbecue Sauce
Bibb lettuce
Steamed rice
Thinly sliced garlic
Thinly sliced scallions (spring onions)
DIRECTIONS
For the Korean barbecue sauce:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
For the marinated beef:
In a food processor, combine the garlic, onion, pear, and ginger and blend for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar and blend again for 30 seconds. If the mixture seems too thick, add up to 4 tablespoons of water to loosen it up.
Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, then stir in the scallions (spring onions), sesame seeds, and sesame oil.
In a zip-top bag or large bowl, combine the beef and marinade. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 1–24 hours.
Preheat a grill to high heat for direct grilling. Place the beef on the grill and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning often. Using tongs, transfer the beef to a cutting board to rest for 2 minutes. Cut into bite-sized pieces, then transfer to a serving dish.
Serve with Korean barbecue sauce, lettuce, rice, garlic and scallions (spring onions).
May Chow’s Char Siu
Renowned Chef May Chow revolutionized the Hong Kong dining scene with her iconic restaurants Little Bao and Happy Paradise. Before she became the youngest recipient of Asia’s Best Female Chef award and was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, Chow was a highly energetic child, who could always be found making something (and setting fires) in her mom’s Shanghainese home kitchen. Anyone who has seen her — as a finale judge on Top Chef Masters or on Today with Hoda and Jenna — knows her personality is as bold and authentic as her flavors. Her personal and innovative approach to modern Chinese cuisine has poised her to redefine the Chinese culinary experience globally.
Preparation time: Allow to marinate for 1-2 hours
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
For the marinade:
1 ¾ cups (12 oz/350 g) sugar
¾ oz/20 g red yeast rice, blended into a powder
½ cup (5 oz/140 g) hoisin sauce
½ cup (5 oz/140 g) oyster sauce
½ cup (5 oz/140 g) sesame paste
1 ½ oz/40 g light soy sauce
1 ½ oz/40 g dark soy sauce
¾ oz/20 g garlic powder
1 ¼ oz/35 g rose wine (we use Mei Kuei Lu Chiew from Golden Star)
For the pork:
3 lb /1.4 kg pork collar (we use Kurobuta pork collar for a leaner texture, but you can go for Boston butt or Iberico; choose a well-marbled piece)
DIRECTIONS
For the marinade:
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with a hand blender.
For the pork:
Using a sharp knife, carefully trim any excess fat from the pork. While a little fat is good for the flavor, removing excess fat will prevent flare-ups and ensure even cooking. Cut the pork collar with the grain into strips about 1.5 inches/4 cm thick. They should have a good balance of fat and meat.
Place the pork into a zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and work the marinade into the meat until every piece is evenly coated, then leave to marinate for 1–2 hours.
Set your precision cooker to 145°F/63°C for sliceable but tender pork. When the bath is at temperature, add the sealed bag and cover with foil or plastic wrap (cling film). Allow to cook for 2–3 hours.
Remove the pork from the bag and carefully blot dry with paper towels. Discard the juices. Brush the meat with enough of the char siu marinade to coat.
Preheat your grill, making sure it’s extremely hot. You want a nice sear on the meat to seal in the juices before you turn it, but try not to get it too crispy on one side. You will be turning the meat often during the cooking process to prevent burning, and to make sure the marinade gets nice and caramelized.
On the hot grill, you should be cooking it for about 1–2 minutes before flipping it. You can also use a blow torch for more caramelization.
Check the pork with a meat thermometer to be sure it’s done — it should be 145°F/63°C — and remove it from the grill to let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice the char siu about ½ inch/1 cm thick, or to your desired thickness.
Serve with a sunny-side-up egg and bowl of rice.
Excerpted from Barbecue © 2025 by Hugh Mangum. Photography © 2025 by Nico Schinco. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved.
The post Barbecue recipes — Asian-style appeared first on The World from PRX.
