I first fell in love with Bulgogi at a Korean restaurant I frequented during college, and again at Seoul Taco in St. Louis, MO. Now I love cooking bulgogi at home because the tantalizing aroma of searing meat and spices brings everyone to the table with an appetite! The word Bulgogi (불고기) literally means “fire meat”. It’s absolutely delicious and, because its sliced so thin, it marinates and cooks quickly. It’s traditionally grilled on skewers but I love this quick and easy pan-fried version, for convenience.
Ingredients Needed:
For the meat I usually use pork tenderloin because it’s lean, reasonably priced, and what I first had when I fell in love with bulgogi. You could also use sirloin, ribeye or other expensive cuts of beef. Chicken would work fine as well. Don’t marinate the meat for longer than a few hours, and most importantly, be careful not to overcook it!
How to make Bulgogi:
Toss the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will make it much easier to slice! Slice the meat across the grain into very thin slices (⅛ inch) and place in a large ziplock bag or mixing bowl. Whisk together the marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and one chopped green onion (save the remaining for garnish).
Add marinade to pork and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no more than overnight. Brown meat: Heat oil in a skillet and cook bulgogi meat in a single layer (one half batch at a time), for a few minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook. Repeat for second batch of meat.
Serve warm in a bulgogi bowl, wrap, or salad.
Pro Tip:
If your supermarket carries Asian pears, grate one up and include it in the marinade. This fruit contains an enzyme that tenderizes meat.
Freezing Instructions:
Place raw meat in a freezer safe bag and cover it with marinade. You may need to divide the portion in half and store it in two separate bags. Remove as much air as possible and freeze it flat. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or quick-thaw in a big bowl of cold water when you get home from work. Bulgogi tastes best freshly cooked so freezing it raw is better.
More International Recipes to try:
Massaman Curry Drunken Noodles Vietnamese Pho Fresh Spring Rolls
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