Today I’d like to share my mom’s recipe for making bulgogi. Bulgogi is Korean marinated beef that just melts in your mouth. On my previous post, I’ve mentioned that Woo Lae Oak is my favorite restaurant that serves amazing bulgogi in Seoul. My mom’s recipe is as good as Woo Lae Oak’s.
What cuts of beef do you need to use? You can find thinly sliced beef chuck or flank steak in either fridge or frozen section in most Asian markets. Or you can ask your local butcher to freeze beef chuck overnight and thinly slice like beef carpaccio. This time, I’ve used Wagyu chuck roll from Korean Market for even better taste. However, for making bulgogi, you don’t really need the prime quality since the sauce will do the magic (it makes beef tender)
waguy marbling
In a small ball, mix all the ingredients for sauce, except red wine
KEY INGREDIENT : ½ of a medium size of Asian pear
If you cannot find an Asian pear in the market (round and brown), you can substitute to a well ripe comice or bosc pear instead. Grating Asian pear into the sauce brings the natural sweetness in bulgogi. Pears also make meat even more tender
Another key ingredient, Sliced onions (white onions are preferred for cooking but didn’t have white onions at home)
Adding sliced onions make bulgogi taste even deeper and more flavorful
½ chopped green pepper (optional for spicy kick)
Pour the mixed sauce on top of the beef and sliced onions. Mix them well until meat absorbs all the sauce evenly. Pour 2T of red wine at the end
Cover with a lid or food wrap and keep in the fridge for a few hours (2-4 hours) or overnight
Preheat the pan and pour 1tsp of cooking oil, spread the marinated beef evenly
Add your favorite vegetable that will go well with bulgogi (for dinner, I’ve added mushroom and for the lunch box, I’ve added carrots) and stir well at medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes (time varies depending on what vegetable you choose. Stir until your choice of vegetable is cooked but shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes since the beef can get tough)
Sprinkle little sesame seed and chopped scallions as a garnish
serve with lettuces for lettuce wrap
Lunch Box
For the lunch box, I’ve added carrot
Eddy’s lunch box
bulgogi, seafood pancake, sweet chili dried squid, egg roll and sweet brown rice with quinoa and farro
Bon apetit!
Bulgogi is one of the most traditional Korean dishes that everyone loves to eat. You can prepare bulgogi a day before and cook it on the next day for guests. It could be a perfect dish for inviting people over. Serve with lettuces to make lettuce wrap as I did. Feel even healthier!
- *Serving 2-3 people
- [Main Ingredients]
- 1lbs Beef (thinly sliced beef Chuck or Flank Steak)
- ½ of a medium size of white onion, chopped
- A handful of your favorite vegetable (often mushroom, carrots, bell pepper or steamed broccoli is recommended) *optional
- ½ chopped green pepper (optional for spicy taste)
- [Sauce]
- 6T Soy sauce (I’ve used kikkoman low sodium soy sauce)
- 2T sesame oil
- 4T chopped scallions
- 1t minced garlic
- ½ of a medium size of Asian pear, grated
- ½t black pepper
- 2T maesil essence syrup (Japanese green plum syrup, you can substitute this to 1T Brown sugar)
- 2T Red wine
- [Garnish]
- 1t sesame seeds
- 1T chopped scallions
- Pour all the ingredients for sauce, except red wine, in a mixing bowl and blend well
- In another big ball, put sliced onion, green pepper (*optional) and beef
- Pour the mixed sauce on top of the beef. Mix them well until all the meat absorbs the sauce evenly.
- Pour 2T of red wine at the end (this is to get rid of the smell of raw beef, yet *optional)
- Cover with a lid or food wrap and keep in the fridge for a few hours (2-4 hours) or overnight
- Prepare your favorite vegetable that will go with bulgogi
- Preheat the pan and pour 1tsp of cooking oil, spread the marinated beef evenly
- After 3-4 minutes as meat is starting to turn brown, add the vegetable (*optional) and stir well on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until the veggie is cooked
- Serve with sesame seed and chopped scallions