Bulgogi

Bulgogi

1 h
Bulgogi means fire meat because it is traditionally grilled over charcoal in Korea. The meat is marinated with pears which makes it tender. Wonderfully good to serve in crisp salad leaves.
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Instructions

Bulgogi meat
  • Cut the meat into thin slices. Coarsely grate the pear. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Put everything in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and leave at room temperature while preparing the rest of the dish.
  • Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package.
Gochujang cream
  • Slice the green onion and mix with the remaining ingredients.
Sprout salad
  • Rinse the sprouts, slice the green onions, and coarsely chop the coriander. Place in a bowl and mix with sesame seeds, soy, lime zest, and lime juice.
Serve with
  • Rinse the lettuce leaves. In a very hot frying pan and without adding any fat, fry the meat with its marinade in batches.
  • Fill the lettuce leaves with rice, sprouts, meat, gochujang cream and kimchi.
Enjoy!

Bulgogi

Can you marinate bulgogi for too long?
Because the meat is cut into thin slices, it doesn’t need much time to marinate. If left for too long, the meat can easily become mushy as its fibres start to break down.
What gives bulgogi its flavour?
It’s all in the marinade with the combination of especially the garlic, soy sauce, pear, and sesame oil giving this dish its distinctly rich and bold flavour.
How do you slice beef thinly for bulgogi?
The easiest way is to slice the beef while it’s partially frozen. Simply wrap the meat in cling film and place in the freezer for between 30 minutes and one hour.
Can bulgogi be medium rare?
Traditionally, the meat is cooked through, but this is entirely up to personal taste. If you prefer a dish that is more on the rare side, or an in-between medium-rare, your bulgogi will taste delicious either way.

Ingredients

Bulgogi
Sirloin steaks
500 g
Pear
1
Yellow onion
1
Garlic cloves
3
Japanese soy sauce
100 ml
Powdered sugar
3 tbsp
Sesame oil
2 tbsp
Rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tbsp
Gochujang cream
Green onions
½ bunch
Sour cream, 42%
200 ml
Gochujang
2 tbsp
Sesame oil
1 tbsp
Sprout salad
Fresh beans sprouts
approx. 150 g
Green onions
½ bunch
Fresh coriander
1 bunch
Toasted sesame seeds
30 g
Japanese soy sauce
1 tbsp
Lime fruit (unwaxed), finely grated zest and juice
1
Serve with
Jasmine rice
4 portions
Lettuce leaves (e.g. romaine or baby gem lettuce)
16
Kimchi
approx. 100 ml
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The origins of bulgogi

This dish is a quintessentially Korean one and can be found on the menus of most local restaurants. Dating back to the Goguryeo era (37 B.C. to 668 A.D.), the dish is part of maekjeok’s evolution story, a preparation technique for skewered (kebab-like) meat. Over time, maekjeok turned into eoryamyeok (a type of stew where marinated beef is soaked in cold water) which, in turn, evolved into neobiani (thin strips of marinated and charbroiled beef) and eventually bulgogi.

The burger variant

Incorporating bulgogi’s big and bold flavours into a burger recipe is an equally mouth-watering meal that has gained popularity in recent years. Simply transform the marinade into a sauce by combining all the ingredients (except for the meat and pear) in a saucepan and reducing it until it coats the back of a spoon. When cooking the burgers, regularly baste the meat with the bulgogi sauce. Topped with the Gochujang cream, kimchi, and lettuce leaves, you may have just found your new favourite burger!

The bulgogi taco variant

Another popular variation is the bulgogi taco. Simply follow the same recipe but swop out the lettuce wraps for tacos. If you prefer a dinner with a kick, exchange the sprout salad for a spicy Korean coleslaw, the perfect complement to the meat’s bold flavours.

Side dish suggestions

Keep it traditional with marinated soybean sprouts (kongnamul muchim), blanched spinach (sigeumchi namul), or a spicy cucumber salad (oi muchim).

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