Bulgogi

A staple in Korean cuisine, bulgogi translates to “fire beef” as it tastes best cooked over a fire, specifically charcoal. At home, I use my cast iron on high heat. The trick is, high heat and a quick cook time.

This recipe has taken me a long time because every time I make it’s a little different and I never remember to write down measurements. Well, I’m happy to say that I finally got it. It’s easy, it’s authentic and most importantly, it’s delicious. High-five!

Ingredients:

1/2 onion
1 ripe bosch pear, peeled and diced (pear is a natural sweetener and meat tenderizer)
1-2 inch knob of ginger, peeled
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
a shake of black pepper

1 carrot, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, sliced
2 green onions, sliced into 2 in pieces

2 lbs sliced steak (I’ve been using the sliced steak from trader joes - so easy), sirloin, ribeye or Korean markets have it pre-sliced labeled bulgogi

Directions:

In a blender, throw in everything BUT the meat, carrot, onion and green onion. Blend it all together. It will be slightly thick. If you think it’s too thick, add a splash of water. I always taste at this step to make sure I like how it’s tasting. If you don’t, adjust with sugar or salt, but I usually leave as is.

Place the meat, carrot, onion and green onion in a container or large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over it. Massage it all in, making sure to get every piece of meat covered in the marinade.

Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour but the longer the better, up to overnight.

When you’re ready to eat, heat up a large heavy pan (I like my cast iron) on high. Turn the fan on or open a window. :) Once super hot, lay the meat and sliced onion evenly in the pan. Let it sit for a bit and caramelize, then you can move it around to get it all cooked. Or cook on a grill (you may want to lay foil down and poke holes so the meat doesn’t fall through the cracks of grill).

We serve it with rice, green or red leaf lettuce and some gochujang (korean red pepper paste). Wrap it up like a taco, using the lettuce as a shell. If you feel up to it, slice some garlic and jalapeño and cook that up too.

Yummmmmmmm.