• Rump Roast Sesame Oil Soy Sauce Green Onion Minced Garlic

1. First cut the rump roast very thin against the grain.
2. Tenderize each piece on both sides with a large knife.
3. Place all the tenderized pieces of meat in a large bowl.
4. Fill the bowl with sesame oil about 1/4 the way up the meat level.
5. Fill the rest of the bowl with soy sauce to the top of the meat.
6. Add chopped green onion and minced garlic.
7. Mix with your hands.
8. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for two hours at least before cooking.
9. After marinating, grill meat pieces medium rare.
10. (No exact measurements. My Grandma cooks it from memory and this is how she taught me how to cook it too)

At 17 years old, Ho Whang began working at a U.S. military cafeteria located in South Korea. The base was a fifteen-minute walk from her home in the countryside. She did not cook in the cafeteria, but did simple cutting and prepping of food to be cooked by Terry Culbertson, the head cook. She lived a quiet life with her family while the rest of the country was overrun by war. While her life was more or less secure by the presence of military protection, there were fears throughout South Korea of invasion by the North.

In 1963, at 22 years old, Ho Whang left her family and South Korea on a U.S. military ship with her new husband Terry Culbertson. She did not bring any personal belonging with her besides a change of clothes. Ho Culbertson had some of her first tastes of American food during the fourteen-day voyage to the U.S. She remembers the ship being primarily a cheery place; she remembers the men always playing cards and bingo and inviting her to join.

When she and Terry set up home in California, she suddenly felt the impact of being in a foreign place. She had difficulties finding familiar Korean foods that were staples in her family. She remembered how her father would always be cooking for her family. Her favorite dish, Korean Steak, was eaten a countless number of times. Now in the U.S., without any of her personal belongings from Korea, she had to adapt to a new culture. She would ask any Oriental person she saw on the street where she could find an Asian food store; struggling with English made it difficult for her to ask a white person. With the guidance of fellow Koreans, Ho was able to find those foods she longed to taste again. She and Terry would trade cooking secrets and techniques between Korean fare and American cooking.

Once they began a family, Ho took over as the main preparer of food while Terry began to work long hours. Her kids learned to cook in the same way that she did, from constantly watching. She taught her children to cook as they watched her prepare their favorite meals. As her kids grew up and began starting families of their own, she would teach their spouses how to cook Korean food as well.

Korean Steak is my favorite meal my grandmother cooks for my family. She starts making endless amounts the minute we walk in the door. Being able to cook Korean food is what made her feel at home when she first began life in the U.S., and it is now her way to make my family feel at home whenever we come to visit. Korean food in my family is not cooked from exact measurements and a recipe book. My grandmother was taught by her father from memory, her kids learned to cook from memory, my mom cooks from memory, and I now, too, know my favorite recipe from memory.