Bulgogi at Home

There are a lot of Korean dishes I could do without--kimchi, I'm looking at you--but I love bulgogi oh so very much. It's absolutely delicious and, I discovered today, super easy to make. There are two different types of bulgogi typically served in restaurants: 1) the kind that is boiled in a delicious broth and 2) the kind that is marinated and cooked over an open flame. [Fun fact: Bulgogi means "fire meat" not because it is spicy but because of how it's cooked.] I'm still on the hunt for a bulgogi broth recipe, but today I attempted a marinated bulgogi to great success. I think it captures the essence and delicious flavors of bulgogi. Anyone playing along at home can replicate this dish with no problem.

After looking at several recipes, I decided to base my meal off this recipe from Savory Sweet Life. I'll be honest, I can't make a dish if I can't see what it should look like and I pick a lot of recipes because of the food photography over any other consideration. But moving on.....

Step One- Cut the meat. Luckily, the Commissary here sells meat that is already thinly sliced and perfect for bulgogi. If you don't have that option at your local grocery store, you can buy a rib-eye or sirloin steak (1-1.5 pounds) and cut it yourself across the grain in paper thin slices. Apparently, partially freezing it beforehand makes it easier to slice.

Step Two- Prepare the marinade, as follows:

1/3 cup of soy sauce [Several recipes explicitly recommended buying Korean soy sauce for better quality and taste. I dutifully visited the market and bought a bottle of the real deal (instead of using my low sodium Kikkoman sauce) but I wish I had stuck with the low sodium option. The finished product was just a tad too salty.]

3 Tablespoons white sugar

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 green onions including the white parts, finely sliced into small pieces

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes [I use just a pinch because I don't like too much spice.]

2 pinches of black pepper

*optional 1/4 tsp. of ginger, finely minced [I didn't put this in this time, but I think I will next time.]

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

[Several recipes also recommend using a pureed kiwi, Fuji apple or Asian pear in the recipe to help tenderize the meat and add additional sweetness to the meat. I want to try this next time as well, probably with the kiwi. Bulgogi done well has a sweetness and a lightness about it that really delights the tongue. I report back on the success of this endeavor the next time I make bulgogi.]

Step Three- Cut 1/4 of a medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into medium moon shaped slivers. Add the beef and onion to the bowl of marinade and massage the marinade into each slice of beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (More is always better when it comes to marinating.)

Step Four- After the beef has marinated long enough, you can pan fry the meat. Place a few slices of beef in single layers and completely flat on a hot oiled frying pan and fry each side until cooked. Or you could do it my way, and just throw it all in there and cook it up like a stir fry. Comes out tasting just as good and it takes about 10 minutes.

Step Five- Serve bulgogi with rice (bap), sides, and lettuce for wrapping, if you so desire. And enjoy!

See? Super quick and easy. And so tasty!

I added enokitake mushrooms to David's bulgogi because he loves the little fungi. I'm not such a fan of mushrooms. And for those looking for a good carrot recipe, I used this recipe for Glazed Mini Carrots from EatingWell.com. Another quick and tasty recipe from my favorite recipe resource.

Now my friends. I've proven it can be done. Go forth and make good Korean food!