Salmon is very high in omega-3 fatty acid, which associates with decreasing the risk of various cardiovascular problems. However, the biggest benefit to me is the ease of eating and preparing salmon.
It's easier to buy a big chunk of salmon fillet, with or without skin, but mostly without the bones. That's probably why I rarely cook smaller fish since picking out the bones is like rocket science to me. On top of that, salmon is so flavorful and can be prepared without much effort, but still yielding delicious result.
I've cooked salmon in so many ways such as colorful chirashi, seared salmon fillet with mustard mayo sauce, smoked salmon sandwich, and baked salmon fillet with ponzu and dana leaves. Let's try using store bought yogurt and kick it up a notch with fresh dill this time!
Baked salmon fillets with easy dill yogurt dressing -
Ingredients (for 2 portions)?
- 6 oz/2 medium salmon fillets
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small plain yogurt
- 1/4 lime juice
- 4 tablespoons of salted butter
- 1 tablespoon of chopped baby dill (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Optional:
How?
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the baking sheet with foil so it'll be easier to clean up afterwards.
Peel and discard the tough ends of the garlic cloves and finely chop the remaining. Use room temperature salted butter, or quickly microwave cold butter for about 10 seconds till semi-melted. Mix the butter with 2 minced garlic cloves.
I used about 85 grams/3 oz of yogurt, key lime flavored yogurt to be exact. However, it can be hard to find unsweetened key lime flavored yogurt, so I modified this recipe using plain yogurt with extra seasonings instead.
Mix plain yogurt with chopped dill, chopped cilantro, and 1 minced garlic.
Season both sides of the fish fillets with just a little salt and regular amount of black pepper. Spread the butter mixture all over -
Into the oven for 10 minutes, or till just cooked through. The fillets will be soaked in yummy and flavorful butter once ready -
Transfer the fillets to a serving plate and top with one big spoonful of the yogurt dressing. Garnish with cilantro and dill. It can also be served with Sriracha and/or chili sauce, or simply mix the spicy ingredients with yogurt dressing.
Don't discard the melted garlicky butter (is it consider a sin wasting butter?).
You can steam some root vegetables or broccoli and drizzle the butter all over as a side dish. Some veggies and baked fish, how much healthier can this meal be? Fine, except the butter part.
Some other no fuss cooking recipes:
Japanese cold noodles with cherry tomatoes plus a touch of lemon
Breakfast mantou burgers
Plum tomatoes plus two cheeses blend tarts using puff pastry sheet
Japanese style corn and ham sandwich
Steamed beef balls with chives and Napa cabbage
Honey Pig BBQ in my memory was one of the decent Korean barbecue restaurants in Los Angeles. That's why when it opened in Orange County, Irvine to be exact, this place has always been on my pocket list ever since. Unfortunately, the food in Irvine location didn't quite live up to its fame and my expectations.
The Honey Pig BBQ in Orange County is located on Jeffrey, between the 5 freeway and Trabuco road.
Orange County, especially Irvine = great outdoor space. It does come with a hefty price.
No reservation needed for Honey Pig BBQ. However, if you're familiar with this area, you'll noticed that at the same time, there are already people waiting in line for all you can eat Korean barbecue, especially the All That Barbecue about five minutes drive away.
Store design -
Piggy menu -
Click on the image for an enlarged view -
Meat selection -
Lunch menu at a bargained price -
Waitress started the fire for our grill -
She also put a bowl below the hole on the grill, so all the fatty oil will be collected without accumulating inside the grill -
Dipping sauce, sesame oil with salt on the left, chili paste on the right -
I used a lot of chili for Korean barbecue. As of Irvine and Tustin area, I think Shik Do Rak still has the best chili paste compared to Honey Pig BBQ, Gen, and All That Barbecue. It's has more kick and actually spicier with a little bit of tang.
Miso paste in the front, garlic slices and jalapeños in the back -
Dduk bo ssam, rice paper used in wrapping grilled meat and other side dishes -
Pickled radish wrap, slightly sweet and sourish. It pairs well with oily grilled meat, in which the refreshing flavor balances off the heavy tasting protein -
Lightly seasoned salad in the back and leafy greens in the front, which can be used as other type of wrap for the pork belly -
Before we started grilling any meat, our waitress laid the banchan around the rim of the grill -
Lots of kimchi and lots of bean sprouts, but that's almost about it as for our banchan -
Then it goes the chadol/beef brisket $17.99 -
Brisket is always one of my must have items at a Korean barbecue joint. It's not necessarily my favorite cut of meat, but it tastes very delicious when wrapped in either the rice paper or pickled radish, along with a little bit of kimchi and salad greens.
Pay closer attention, the fat is dripping away to the hole on the right side. Such a clever design -
You can wrap the beef slices in either rice paper or pickled radish. Some people like the brisket to be just about cooked through. However, try grilling it a little bit longer, the crunchier edge works very well with thinly sliced and slightly cold radish -
Picking up the whole thing requires some practices. The key is don't get too greedy before mastering the skill -
Bean paste soup -
Non-marinated beef tongue with butter $19.99 -
The beef tongue is on the lean side, so spreading the butter all over the grill prevents the meat from sticking.
There are also a few pieces of tofu as one of the few banchan selections -
Beef tongue, always a delicious item to order at a Korean barbecue place -
However, around this neighborhood, I think Gen Korean BBQ has a better version with more tender texture and beefier flavor.
Signature pork belly $19.99 -
The black peppercorn on top is more for garnishing purpose, you won't really taste the spiciness from the fatty pork -
It actually take quite a while to cook through such thickly cut meat. However, the fat gets rendered down during the process so there's no extensive greasy feeling when biting into the pork -
Look at all the oil flowing towards the hole on the grill -
When the pork is about ready, the waitress will help cutting the meat into bite size pieces. You can eat it right away or let the pork belly cook a little bit longer for extra crunchiness -
Grilled pork pairs well with salad greens. Top the pork with additional pickled banchan, perhaps with a little miso paste and chili sauce to spice up the flavor -
I would say along all three items ordered, the pork belly is the only one that got my thumbs up and worth the a la carte price tag. All other things you can simply get at an all you can eat Korean barbecue joint for much less money.
Overall Honey Pig BBQ ain't bad at all, especially for the decent pork belly. It just that the price paid for a la carte items here well surpassed the regular price as to all you can eat Korean barbecue, which is around $20 per person. At an all you can eat joint, you also get to try at least 6 different types of meat for the same price. In addition, there are not too many banchan/little dishes varieties at Honey Pig BBQ. As a result, it might not seem as much worth the money when comparing to other options around the area.
Friends who tried Honey Pig BBQ actually recommend ordering kimchi fried rice in the end, saying it might be the best dish at the Irvine branch. Unfortunately, the three dishes ordered were already a pretty long stretch for two people. Perhaps next time?
Cindy's Rating: 6
Honey Pig BBQ
14171 Jeffrey Road
Irvine, CA 92620
(949) 651-9005
Some of the all you can eat Korean barbecue restaurants around Irvine:
$20 for endless steaks, galbi, bulgogi, and more! - Gen Korean BBQ and Yakitori Bar
All that Barbecue (delicious been tongue)
Shik Do Rak (delicious brisket)
