AI-generated image
Beef bulgogi
불고기: thin beef soaked in pear, soy and garlic, then seared fast
In Seoul, bulgogi restaurants still cook it on a domed grill set into the table, with a moat around the edge that catches the sweet juices for spooning over rice. At home it is made in a hot pan, and it is a favourite for family dinners, lunch boxes and birthday tables. Grated Asian pear softens the meat and adds a gentle sweetness to the soy and garlic. Wrap it in lettuce with a little ssamjang, or eat it over rice. Chef's tip: put the beef in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing; firm meat cuts into wafer-thin slices easily.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the marinade
- ¼ Asian pearabout 100 g, peeled and grated
- ½ oniongrated
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the bulgogi
- 1 ⅓ lb beef ribeye or sirloinsliced 2 to 3 mm thick
- ½ onionthinly sliced
- 1 carrotsmall, cut into thin batons
- 3 ½ oz shiitake or chestnut mushroomssliced
- 3 spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
To serve
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 head lettuce leaves (optional)to wrap
- 4 bowls cooked short-grain rice
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (7)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix ¼ Asian pear, ½ onion, 5 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 5 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and ½ tsp black pepper in a large bowl. Many cooks also add 2 tbsp of rice wine (mirim), which contains alcohol; it isn't needed here.
Step 2: Add 1 ⅓ lb beef ribeye or sirloin and turn it with your hands so every slice is coated. Leave for 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to 8 hours in the fridge. Don't leave it longer, as the pear will turn the meat mushy.
20 minStep 3: Mix in ½ onion, 1 carrot, 3 ½ oz shiitake or chestnut mushrooms and 3 spring onions.
Step 4: Heat half the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until it shimmers. Lift in half the beef and vegetables, shaking off some of the marinade. Common mistake: tipping in everything at once. The pan cools, the meat stews grey in its juices and never browns; cook in two batches.
1 minStep 5: Spread the meat out and leave for 1 minute to sear, then toss for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the beef is browned with no pink left and the onion is soft.
4 minStep 6: Tip onto a plate and cook the second batch the same way with the rest of the 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Return the first batch, add any leftover marinade and bubble for 1 minute until glossy.
5 minStep 7: Scatter with 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and serve with 4 bowls cooked short-grain rice and 1 head lettuce leaves for wrapping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does beef bulgogi take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is Korea's best-loved street snack: chewy cylinders of rice cake simmered in a thick, glossy, sweet and spicy red sauce. It became a classic in Seoul, where it is sold from street stalls and snack bars in every neighbourhood. Street versions use anchovy stock and fish cakes; this vegan version uses a quick kelp and shiitake stock with cabbage and spring onions, and has all the same punch. Eat it hot, while the rice cakes are soft and stretchy. Chef's tip: keep stirring and scrape the bottom; the rice cakes release starch that thickens the sauce but also catches. The sauce is right when it clings to the spoon in a glossy coat.
Tteokgalbi
Tteokgalbi is rib meat chopped finely, pressed back into neat slabs and grilled, so it's soft enough to eat without struggling with a bone. Two places in South Jeolla claim it: Damyang, the bamboo county, where all-beef patties come with rice steamed in bamboo tubes, and Gwangju's Songjeong district, whose restaurant street near the railway station mixes beef with pork. This home version uses minced beef and pork, seasoned with soy, garlic and pear, then brushed with a soy and honey glaze as it cooks. Serve with rice, lettuce and a few banchan; leftovers are good cold in a lunchbox. Chef's tip: slap the mince against the bowl for a few minutes; it turns sticky and the patties hold together on the grill without any breadcrumbs.