Beef Bulgogi
Korea's most beloved BBQ dish — paper-thin slices of ribeye marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger, then seared on a blazing hot pan until caramelized at the edges. Sweet, savory, smoky, and intensely flavorful. Serve with rice, lettuce leaves, and kimchi.
Ingredients
- 300 gbeef ribeye or sirloin
- 2 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbspsesame oil
- 1 tspsugar
- 0.5 tsprice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tspfresh ginger
- 1 egg
- 1 onion, sliced into rings
- 1 carrot
- 1 tspsesame seeds
- scallion for serving
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and egg in a bowl.
- Add thinly sliced beef and sliced vegetables to the marinade. Mix well and marinate for at least 15 minutes (or up to 4 hours in the fridge).
- Heat a wok or skillet with a little oil over very high heat. Cook the meat and vegetables in batches for 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not overcrowd the pan — cook in small portions so the meat sears rather than steams. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onion. Can also be wrapped in lettuce leaves.
FAQ
Ribeye or thin-cut sirloin is ideal — the marbling makes the meat tender and juicy. Flank or shoulder also work. Korean grocery stores often sell pre-sliced beef labeled 'bulgogi meat' — a convenient option.
Put the beef in the freezer for 20–30 minutes — slightly frozen meat slices much more easily. Cut across the grain, no thicker than 3mm. Slicing across the grain is what makes the meat tender rather than chewy.
Asian pear and kiwi contain enzymes that break down protein fibers and naturally tenderize the meat. Without fruit, marinate longer or add grated onion — it also helps, though more gently.
The cause is an overcrowded pan. Too much meat drops the temperature and it steams in its own juices. Cook in small batches on a very hot pan, leaving space between pieces — that is what gives bulgogi its caramelized edges.
Bulgogi means 'fire meat' — Korean marinated grilled beef with a sweet-savory sesame-and-pear marinade. Japanese yakiniku uses simpler or no marinade, with the focus on dipping sauces at the table. Both are tabletop BBQ traditions but the flavor profiles are quite different.
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Comments (2)
фееричный гуляш! говоря по-нашему
Let the beef come to room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking beef bulgogi. Cold meat causes the muscle fibers to contract violently when they hit heat. Room temp beef sears evenly and stays tender.