Korean · Main · Easy
Bulgogi
Paper-thin beef in a sweet soy marinade, seared until the edges caramelize. Korea's most famous barbecue, ready in minutes.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Bulgogi, in 5 ideas
- The pear is a tenderizer, not just a sweetener. Its enzymes break down the meat. Do not skip it, and do not marinate longer than 24 hours or the texture goes mushy.
- Slice against the grain. Look for the lines in the meat and cut across them. This is the difference between tender and chewy.
- Lettuce wraps are the traditional way. A leaf, a spoon of rice, a few strips of beef, a dab of ssamjang if you have it. One bite.
- Save the marinade. After searing, pour any pan juices back over the beef. That is concentrated flavor.
- It works with pork too. Thin-sliced pork shoulder with a spoon of gochujang in the marinade becomes dwaeji bulgogi, the spicy cousin.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ribeye or sirloin, sliced paper-thin
- 1/2 Asian pear, grated (or 1/4 cup grated onion)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for cooking
- Steamed rice and lettuce leaves, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Partially freeze the beef for 30 to 45 minutes. This firms it up so you can slice it almost transparently thin against the grain.
- Whisk the grated pear, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame seeds, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the beef and massage the marinade in with your hands. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor.
- Heat a large skillet or grill pan over the highest heat until smoking. Add a thin film of vegetable oil.
- Working in batches so the pan stays hot, lay the beef in a single layer. Sear 1 to 2 minutes per side until browned and caramelized at the edges.
- Pile onto a platter, scatter with extra scallions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately with rice and lettuce for wrapping.
Do not crowd the pan. If the beef steams instead of sears, you lose the caramelized edges that make bulgogi bulgogi. Two or three batches is worth it.