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Korean · Lunch, dinner

Bulgogi

Photograph of the finished dish Photograph of the finished dish
Photograph of the finished dish Photograph of the finished dish

Background

Bulgogi, meaning “fire meat,” is a Korean dish of thinly sliced, marinated beef. Its ancestors date to ancient Korean grilled-meat dishes; the sweet-savory version familiar today became especially popular in the twentieth century.

Ingredients

  • 700 g rib-eye or sirloin, very thinly sliced
  • 1 small Asian pear, grated
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 4 scallions, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

How to cook

  1. Mix pear, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and half the scallions. Add the beef and marinate for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
  2. Heat a wide skillet or grill until very hot. Cook the beef in uncrowded batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until browned and just cooked.
  3. Garnish with sesame seeds and the remaining scallions. Serve with steamed rice and lettuce leaves.

Recipe photographs link to their original publishers.