Friday Dinner (IPC's Communion Season 2011)

Unintentionally, I have created ethnic menus for IPC's First Annual Communion Season meals. Last night was Caribbean style dinner, and tonight, Asian.

I have been wanting to make Bulgogi, Korean style stir-fried beef, for my church family for a long time but never did due to high cost of beef, until now! Through a good friend, I was able to get 70 pounds of top round, sliced thinly enough to be used for Korea's most famous beef dish. Thank you, Sunju!

So, the kitchen staff and I made a bathtub-ful of soy marinade with fresh garlic, sesame oil, brown and granulated sugar, pepper, and a splash of white wine.


This is the way my kitchen staff and I get a good bicep work out. Wrestling with half a calf makes you strong.


When using less tender cut, hot, quick stir fry is the key to keeping the beef moist.


Bulgogi can't be served with long grain rice, no sirree! Short grain, sushi grade rice must be used when serving this wonderful dish. Rinse away the starch from the grains a few times with cold water.


Along with this, we also prepared stir fry veggies of Chinese cabbage, white cabbage, zucchini, bell peppers, and mung sprouts.





Mandarin orange segments were used for Spinach Salad with candied walnuts.


And Peanut brittle to top the frozen peanut butter pies.

Cool, smooth frozen pie with crunchy topping was a perfect ending to this delicious meal.


Friday Dinner Menu
For180

Bulgogi with Steamed Rice (70 lbs of top round/35lbs of short grain rice)
Veggie Medley (6 large white cabbages, 5 Chinese Cabbage, 10 lbs zucchinis,
12 tri-color peppers, 10 lbs of mung sprouts)
Teriyaki Sauce (made approx. 1 gallon)
Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (10 lbs of baby spinach leaves, 16 cans mandarin orange segments, 2 lbs of Walnuts candied, plus 12 cups of poppy seed dressing)
Frozen Peanut Butter Pie with Peanut Brittle (4 full pans, 180 servings)

General prep list:

Up to 2 weeks ahead:
Make frozen peanut butter pie

Up to 5 days:
Make poppy seed dressing
Make Peanut brittle, store in air tight container in room temperature

Up to 3 days:
Make Teriyaki sauce and refrigerate

1 day ahead:
Marinade beef, refrigerate
Julienne veggies, store in zip lock storage bags, refrigerate

On the day of event:
3 hours before:
steam rice
slowly heat teriyaki sauce
Slightly thaw and cut peanut butter pie, back in freezer

2 hours before: begin stir frying veggie, par cook, layer uncovered

1 hour to serving time:
one person designated to stir fry beef in batches
Take frozen pie out of freezer 20 minutes prior to serving
toss salad 10 minutes before serving
plate dessert/salad/main meal