Bulgogi Recipe
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Besides kimchi (pickled vegetables), bulgogi (barbecued beef) is perhaps one of the most popular Korean foods in the West. A soy and herbal marinade is the key to this tasty beef dish, but like many Asian marinades, only a small amount of liquid is used to flavor the meat. Grilled over a hibachi or in a grill pan, or stir-fried, until crisp (or to preferred doneness), the beef is wrapped in a tender lettuce leaf and may be eaten with a dab of pungent fermented Korean bean paste.
You will find thinly sliced beef, chicken, or pork in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese butcher shops. If you do not have these near you, ask your local butcher if he or she can slice the meat for you. If not, buy a large chunk and place it in the freezer for forty-five minutes to facilitate the slicing. Slice against the grain while the meat is still frozen.
- 1/4 cup Japanese or Korean dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 3 medium garlic cloves, crushed, peeled, and grated
- 3 scallions, root and dark green ends trimmed, and 6-inch stalks minced
- 2 pounds marbled sirloin or rib steak, sliced paper thin against the grain
- Whisk together the soy sauce and sugar in a bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the vegetable and sesame oils, sesame seeds, garlic, and scallions until well combined. Add the beef, tossing it with your hands to make sure it is evenly coated on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it, allowing the meat to marinate for 30 minutes. Drain the beef, shaking off the excess liquid and scraping off the scallion and garlic.
- Grill the beef, laying the slices flat on a table hibachi. If using a grill pan, brush a generous amount of vegetable oil on the cooking surface and heat it over medium-high heat. When it starts to smoke, add the beef slices and grill to your preferred doneness, but no more than 5 seconds on each side, so the beef remains tender.
Variation: Japanese sukiyaki, pan-seared beef, is similar to bulgogi. Mix together in a bowl 1 teaspoon tapioca starch, 2 tablespoons Japanese dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon sake, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add 1 pound thinly sliced beef sirloin and mix well. (There is just enough marinade; the beef should not be drowning.) Marinate for 30 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon beef suet in a pan over high heat. Sear the beef until done, about 5 seconds per side.
Beverage pairing: Brassfield Estate Merlot, High Serenity Ranch Vineyard, California. A good, dark wine structured with perky acidity, this Merlot has a tinge of soy and pepper, which makes a good pair with the beef. Serve it slightly chilled or at a cool room temperature.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food
team.
Simon & Schuster
i love this dish! i use the store bought korean bulgogi sauce. i marinate the thinly sliced beef or pork (haven't tried chicken) for 2 hrs or more and then just fry it with canola oil, garlic, onions and scallions. It taste great!
Does anyone have the recipe for the marinade used for Korean chicken BBQ?
or a great sauce for yakitori?
BrookiePetti:
Some other add ons for the wraps;
Thin Sliced Raw Garlic
Thin Sliced Red, Green, or Jalapeno Pepper
Perilla Leaves (Korean Wild Sesame)
Fresh or Seasoned Chives (Rough Chopped)
Sesame oil with Salt and pepper (a dip for the meat)
Anything else you can think of that tastes good with beef and greens
I am so excited to find this recipe! My husband spent 2 years in Korea with the Air Force, and came home raving about bulgogi. I had no idea what it was, or how to make it, so thank you.
He has mentioned that there was more 'add ons' other than just the bean paste. Do you know what else is eaten in the lettuce with it?
Eat Nopal -
You can use less sugar or omit it completely and use honey, apple, or nashi pear as the sweetener for a "less sweet" taste.
well being married to a korean women,30 yrs She cooks better then any food I have found at a restaurant.But back to your question we use less sugar say 2 table spoon's and we use aloha soy sauce I think better taste.Something we did this past weekend was cook up some beef ribs.We cut them into singe rib pieces,cut off excess fat.We then boiled them in water with a package of ajus.After we cooked them,we took the ribbs out and put them in another pot with a little of the broth from that was left.My wife made some bbq sauce alittle brown sugar soy and some ketsup and garlic I like a lot.We slow cooked them for like 2 to 3 hours low temp.WOW!!!!!! they were onmeat jut fell off the bone.You can add salt pepper to tatse
Many Korean-Americans complain that Korean food here made is too sweet, to be suitable for U.S. mainstream tastes.
Anybody have any feedback on this recipe (3 tablespoons of sugar on 2 pounds of meat)?
geez i love this food! Maybe you can introduce variations of Bulgogi used dishes! In Korea there are many dishes that has applied Bulgogi to it. For example, Bulgogi pizza, Bulgogi burger etc.