My dear friend Mirena taught me pretty much everything I know about Korean food—which is actually not that much, but enough so that everyone looks to me to order when we go out for barbecue on 32nd Street. I know how to grill the meat over hot coals and wrap it in lettuce with a smear of fermented soy bean paste; and how to say dumplings (man doo); and that a seafood pancake is a must; and of course that both types of meat—bulgogi (rib eye) and kalbi (short rib)—must be ordered. On my regular stop at Dickson's in Chelsea Market this week, I was pleasantly surprised to see thinly sliced short rib (vertically sliced) all ready for homemade Korean barbecue. I found recipes for the classic marinade and dipping sauce from Jenny Kwan, an owner of a popular Korean restaurant, Dok Suni, in New York's East Village. I picked up a great tip: she has you massage the meat with kiwi juice, a natural tenderizer containing enzymes that break down protein! Now that grilling season is upon us, I think you should give this easy preparation a whirl.

Find some nice grass-fed short ribs and get your butcher to slice them thin. The dipping sauce is salty and spicy and totally addictive. The traditional way to eat Korean barbecue is by dabbing said fermented soybean paste (I made mine with miso) on lettuce leaves and wrapping bits of grilled meat inside, with maybe the addition of some raw scallion or grilled garlic. It's a very fun, hands-on way to dine, and makes for a convivial gathering. I rounded out the meal with my favorite short-grain Japanese rice that is actually brown, not white. Made the traditional Japanese way, you rinse it, then soak it for half an hour before cooking. It's pleasantly sticky and fluffy at the same time. I also picked lots of mizuna from the garden and dressed it in that delicious carrot-ginger-sesame dressing you often get in Japanese restaurants. Perhaps not typically Korean, but damn good nonetheless. Dessert was this coconut-lime sorbet. If you still haven't made it, now's your chance. It's creamy and tart and beautifully perfumed with wild lime. I threw the whole dinner together in under an hour, so don't be thinking it's some big production. Get your grill on!