Bulgogi — 'fire meat' — is the most popular Korean barbecue dish outside Korea. The pear in the marinade contains enzymes that tenderise the beef while adding natural sweetness. The very thin slices cook in under 2 minutes per side over very high heat. The result has a caramelised, slightly sweet crust and a tender interior that is almost impossible to achieve with a thicker cut.
Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe
Ingredients
- 600g beef sirloin or ribeye, sliced 2-3mm thin against the grain
- 1 tbsp beef tallow
- Marinade: ½ Asian pear (grated), 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 4 garlic cloves (minced), 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated), 1 tbsp sesame oil, ½ tsp black pepper
- Steamed short-grain rice, sliced spring onion, sesame seeds to serve
Method
- Combine all marinade ingredients. Add the sliced beef and mix thoroughly to coat every piece. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Heat the tallow in a cast iron skillet or wok over the highest heat available until smoking.
- Cook the beef in small batches — do not crowd. Add a single layer of marinated beef and cook for 1 minute without touching. Flip. Cook 1 more minute. Remove.
- The beef should be slightly caramelised at the edges from the honey in the marinade.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice, scattered with sliced spring onion and sesame seeds.
Is bulgogi seed oil free?
Yes with tallow. The sesame oil in the marinade is used as a condiment/flavouring — this is standard in Korean cooking and is a different category from cooking fats.
Why Asian pear?
The enzymes in Asian pear (and regular pear or kiwi) break down muscle fibres, tenderising the beef. This is the traditional Korean technique. Grated apple works as a substitute.
Where to get beef sliced this thin?
Ask a butcher, or partially freeze the beef and slice yourself with a sharp knife.
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