Basic Bulgogi

By Leslie Blythe Beef, Marinade Grilling, Marinating

October 8, 2018

We were invited to our friends Kim and Scott's house in Pacific Palisades for dinner on Saturday night. Their home sits at 1,500 feet overlooking the Pacific ocean on a clear day. The had a Lodge Hibachi grill on a table outside. It was magical! They cooked this Basic Bulgogli marinade beef, which was probably some of the best I have ever had. The marinade is out of this world good. I don't even like Korean food. I will be making this very soon, though the setting at our house is missing a lot of the magic! What's better than sharing a meal with great friends under the stars? Nothing! Oh, and one looks a tad younger among the glowing fire at night! The meal was topped off with gourmet chocolate (that's a whole other blog post!) S'mores. What a great evening!

Bulgogi, literally "fire meat", is a gui (Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirloin, rib eye or brisket are frequently used cuts of beef for the dish.

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

¼ pear, grated

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon gochugaru (coarse Korean hot pepper flakes), or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed hanger steak, boneless short rib, or skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

Kosher salt

Sliced scallions (for serving)

Directions

1Combine pear, garlic, soy sauce, gochugaru, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil in a large resealable plastic bag or medium bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice meat into very thin strips. Add to marinade, seal bag, and squish everything around until the meat is coated. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes, or chill up to 8 hours. 

2Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high until oil is shimmering. Remove half of meat from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag; season lightly with salt and cook in a single layer without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Toss meat and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until cooked through and crisp at edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, remaining meat, and more salt. 

3Serve topped with scallions. 

Recipe by Chris Morocco, Bon Appétit, November 2015

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