Easy ‘Cue

It’s easy to cook Korean food, even if you’ve never tried. Just stop by the California Market and pick up the essentials. You’ll find three kinds of marinated meat for barbecuing: thin sliced rib-eye (bulgogi), short ribs (kalbi) and pork, which looks red because it is spicy with chiles.

The market also offers a great variety of relishes and kimchi. From the relishes, which are neatly packaged and labeled, we chose three that are so versatile you could serve them with other types of food too. Marinated bean sprouts have a zingy aftertaste from hot chiles. Spinach is gently flavored with sesame oil. Chewy black beans taste sweet because they’re seasoned with sugar as well as with soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds.

The meat is ready to grill; the side dishes are ready to eat. The only job that remains is to steam white rice as an accompaniment.

Kalbi $2.99 a pound, bulgogi $2.89 to $5.99 a pound and pork $2.89 a pound; marinated black beans, spinach and bean sprouts, each $2.30 a pound at California Market, 450 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles; (213) 382-9444.