Bulgogi
Bulgogi — literally 'fire meat' — is Korea's best-loved grilled dish and, for many, the gateway to Korean food. Thin slices of beef are steeped in a sweet-savoury marinade of soy, sesame, garlic and grated pear, then seared fast over high heat until the edges caramelise. Once a dish of the royal court and special occasions, it is now everyday comfort, cooked on tabletop grills, in pans and over charcoal. The marinade is where the magic lives. Soy and sesame give depth, garlic and pepper give bite, and grated Asian pear does double duty — its enzymes tenderise the beef while its juice lends a clean, fruity sweetness that plain sugar cannot match. Slice the meat thin and against the grain, marinate it well, and cook it hot and fast so it caramelises rather than stews.
Thin-sliced beef
Marinated for deep savoury-sweet flavour
Pear tenderiser
Grated pear softens and sweetens the meat
Grill or pan
High heat, fast caramelising
Made for ssam
Wrapped in lettuce with rice and ssamjang
Ingredients 4 servings
- 600 g beef sirloin or ribeye, sliced as thinly as possible across the grain (freeze 30 min first to slice thin)
- 0.5 Asian pear (or 3 tbsp grated) — a natural tenderiser and sweetener; substitute grated apple or kiwi
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar (or honey)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cm fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp mirin (or rice wine)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 100 g shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced
- 3 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths (whites and greens separated)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, for cooking
How to make it
- 1SLICE THE BEEF: if it is not pre-sliced, freeze the beef 30-40 minutes until firm, then slice across the grain as thinly as you can — paper-thin slices soak up the marinade and cook in seconds.
- 2MAKE THE MARINADE: whisk the soy sauce, sugar, grated pear, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, mirin and black pepper into a smooth marinade — the grated pear is the Korean secret, its enzymes tenderise the meat while its juice adds a clean sweetness no plain sugar can match.
- 3MARINATE: toss the beef through the marinade with the white spring-onion parts until every slice is coated; cover and rest at least 30 minutes, ideally 2-4 hours in the fridge.
- 4SEAR HOT: heat a wide pan or grill pan over high heat with a little oil until almost smoking; working in batches so the pan stays hot, lay the beef in a single layer and sear 1-2 minutes, turning once, until the edges caramelise — do not crowd the pan or the meat steams instead of browning.
- 5ADD THE VEG: in the last batch add the sliced onion and mushrooms and stir-fry 2-3 minutes until softened and glazed in the marinade.
- 6BRING IT TOGETHER: return all the beef to the pan, toss 30 seconds so everything is hot and glossy, then scatter the toasted sesame seeds and green spring-onion tops.
- 7SERVE: serve straight from the pan with steamed rice, or ssam-style — a spoon of rice and a slice of bulgogi wrapped in a lettuce leaf with a dab of ssamjang.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
