Bulgogi

NGREDIENTS FOR 4 TO 6 SERVES (AS A MAIN DISH)

MAIN

• • 800g (1.76 pounds) thinly sliced sirloin (or any tender prime beef cut)

  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled (130g, 4.6 ounces)

  • 2 stalks green onion (55g, 2 ounces)

  • 1/2 medium carrot, peeled (55g, 2 ounces)

  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil (I used rice bran oil)

BULGOGI MARINADE (MIX ALL TOGETHER IN A SMALL BOWL)

• • 6 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Kikkoman soy sauce)

  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar

  • 2 Tbsp rice wine (mirin)

  • 2 Tbsp grated yellow onion (This is equivalent to 1/2 large onion – 80g, 2.8 ounces)

  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic

  • 5 Tbsp grated red apple (This is equivalent to 1 medium apple – 155g, 5.5 ounces, I used royal gala. Pink lady or fuji apples are ok to use as well.)

  • 1 tsp minced ginger

  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml

** If you want to learn more about Korean cooking ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients list!

STEPS

1. Remove the blood from the meat with kitchen paper. (This can be done by placing the kitchen paper on the cutting board. Then put one slice of meat and layer another piece of kitchen paper on top of the meat. Gently press it down to soak up the blood.) Place the meat into a large mixing bowl for marinating.

2. Pour the marinade sauce into the bowl and mix well with the meat. Add the sesame oil and gently mix it into the meat. (I prefer adding the sesame oil separately as opposed to mixing it in the marinade sauce. I read somewhere that the oil can prevent the other sauce getting absorbed effectively into the meat.) Cover the bowl with food wrap (or move the meat into a glass container with a lid) and marinate the meat for at least 4 hours in the fridge. (If you have more time, you can also marinate it overnight for an enhanced flavour).

3. Prepare the vegetables. Thinly slice the onion, carrots and  green onion.

4. Preheat the wok/skillet on the stove on medium high heat and once heated add the cooking oil and spread it well with a spatula.

5. Add the meat and vegetables and stir. Cook them on high heat for 3 to 5 mins until the meat is starting to turn brown. Stir occasionally (every 30 seconds) and reduce the heat gradually as the meat & vegetables cook.

6. When the meat is nearly cooked toss in the sesame seeds. By now the heat should be very low. Stir them quickly and turn off the heat.

7. Serve the Bulgogi onto a plate and enjoy.

BULGOGI COOKING TIPS

• • Pre-sliced Bulgogi meat can be purchased at a Korean grocery store. If you don’t have access to a Korean grocery store, you can buy the meat at your local butcher and ask them to thinly slice it. Just remember that typical Bulgogi cut is “paper thin”. If you’re cutting the meat yourself at home, slicing is easier when it’s still partly frozen.

  • As I mentioned briefly earlier, the fruit that is commonly used in the Bulgogi marinating process is Korean pear / Asian nash pear. It is used as a tenderiser (but also as a sweetness enhancer). It is not an easy fruit to get your hands on if you don’t live in Korea, hence I use an apple and it’s been working really great for me. Some Koreans also use kiwi or pineapple but you will have to make sure you don’t over-marinate the meat as these are stronger tenderising agents than pear and apple. If you marinate the meat for too long, the colour and the texture of the meat can change substantially.

  • You might want to cut the meat between steps 5 & 6 with a pair of scissors and tongs if it’s not mouthful size already. Alternatively, you can slice the meat into a smaller pieces before you marinate. Again, partly frozen meat is easier to cut.

HOW TO SERVE BULGOGI

You can serve the Bulgogi with some steamed Korean rice and with other Korean side dishes. Bulgogi is typically enjoyed with some lettuce leaves and perilla leaves (to wrap with) and some Korean ssamjang (to dip with) and finally some Kimchi (spicy or non-spicy).

HOW TO STORE BULGOGI

Already cooked Bulgogi can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Any uncooked portion of the Bulgogi (just marinated) can be stored in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few weeks.