Korean BBQ Sandwiches

I wasn’t exactly sure what to call these, but I’m sure that they’re really good. And really easy and quick to make.

You basically take some shaved beef, caramelized onions, spinach and coat it with Korean BBQ sauce, then serve it on a crusty bun. 

Obviously, you can depart from the recipe by adding or omitting certain ingredients—all but the beef. You’ll need that.

What you’ll need for three sandwiches

• Shaved or very-thin-sliced beef, about 0.33 lbs. for each sandwich
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1t mayonnaise
• 1 or 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
• Up to 4T Korean BBQ sauce
• 3 ciabatta buns or similar bread, lightly toasted. Sections of a wide baguette also work.

What to do

Slice and caramelize the onion, in any way what works best for you. One cheater method is to heat a little oil in a nonstick frypan over high heat. Add the sliced onion and 1t of mayonnaise, with a large non-metal spoon, distribute the mayo throughout the onion as it sautés. The mayo helps the onion brown, or you could use butter, instead. After the onion begins to get browned, add about 0.25 cups HOT water to the pan, keeping the heat high, until the water cooks off. When the onions begin to brown more, add more water. Repeat this cycle up to a few more times until the onions are cooked to your liking. This will take 10-15 minutes, compared to the more than an hour by caramelizing them the “right way.” What you’ll get is a really good approximation of properly done caramelized onions. Set aside when done.

Add the beef to a warmed frypan—preferably nonstick—with a little oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté the meat until it sheds any liquid, then 1T at a time, add the Korean BBQ sauce and distribute it throughout the meat. Continue adding the sauce until it coats the meat.

Add the caramelized onions and spinach, mixing them into the beef. Let everything cook until nearly all the liquid cooks off and the spinach is completely wilted.

Spoon onto the bun bottoms, top them and serve after 3 minutes.