Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef)
The summer heat has been dragging me down, which sends me into a bipolar eating frenzy where I want to consume nothing but frozen desserts and the spiciest foods. Anything south of the equator is fair game, the spicier the better, in an effort to sweat myself cool and release enough endorphins so I otherwise don’t care anymore!
Since I still have about a kilo of kimchi to consume, I figured I might as well cook up some bulgogi beef to eat with it. It was the perfect excuse to go to the Korean market and pick up a Melona bar, South Korea’s version of a popsicle that is quite possibly the most delicious thing to ever be served frozen on a stick, in any flavor.
I purchased a tub of ssamjang, the thick and intensely savory condiment of fermented chilies, soy, sugar and spices, that I originally left the house for. Actually, that’s a lie. My intention was to buy this, but since I can’t read Korean characters, I ended up buying gochujang by mistake, which is what gives ssamjang its heat. A mixture of sriracha, brown sugar, scallions and sesame oil would be an okay replacement, but there’s really no adequate substitute.
Generally bulgogi is eaten like a taco, tortilla omitted for lettuce or perilla, which is like a large mint leaf, though it’s just as good served on top of rice. Its perfect blend of salt and heat also happens to make it a perfect food to eat with copious amounts of beer, in case you needed an excuse this summer.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1″ piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pear or plum, grated
- 1 pound flank or skirt steak, cut into 4 steaks
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- In a large, flat, non-reactive dish (like a 9×9″ baking dish), dissolve sugars in soy sauce and rice wine, then mix in the garlic, ginger, scallions and grated pear.
- Marinate steaks for half an hour at room temperature, or for several hours in the refrigerator. (The fruit will tenderize the meat to mush, so a longer marinade is not better!)
- Remove steaks from the marinade and allow to come to room temperature, if they were refrigerated.
- Preheat your grill or grill pan at medium-high, or get the coals of your charcoal barbecue good and hot.
- Brush the steaks with sesame oil and grill to your desired doneness, being watchful of flare ups because of the sugar content of the marinade. Allow the steaks to rest for several minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
- Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves, ssamjang, kimchi, steamed rice and thinly sliced carrots, cabbage, cucumber and/or scallions, like you would prepare a taco.