Bulgogi

Name: Bulgogi
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Korea
Ingredients: 1 Asian pear or ripe Bosc pear, about 150 g, peeled and finely grated; 4 tbsp soy sauce; 1½ tbsp sugar, or 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 4 cloves garlic, grated; 1 tsp grated fresh ginger; 2 scallions, sliced; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper; 700 g (1½ lb) boneless rib-eye or sirloin, partly frozen for 30 minutes, sliced 2–3 mm thin across the grain; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; steamed short-grain rice, Perfect Rice; 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated; 2 tbsp gochujang, or ssamjang, for dabbing; kimchi, optional

Thin beef in a sweet pear and soy marinade, seared hot

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 1 h
Level: Easy

Bulgogi, "fire meat", is one of Korea's best-known beef dishes: paper-thin slices of beef marinated in soy, sugar, garlic, sesame and grated pear, then seared quickly over high heat. The pear adds a gentle sweetness and a mild protein-softening enzyme. Wrap it in lettuce with rice and a dab of spicy paste.

Ingredients

Marinade

1Asian pear or ripe Bosc pearabout 150 g, peeled and finely grated
4 tbspsoy sauce
1½ tbspsugaror 2 tbsp honey
1 tbsptoasted sesame oil
4 clovesgarlicgrated
1 tspgrated fresh ginger
2scallionssliced
¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper

Beef

700 gboneless rib-eye or sirloin (1½ lb)partly frozen for 30 minutes, sliced 2–3 mm thin across the grain
1onionthinly sliced
1 tbspneutral oil
1 tbsptoasted sesame seeds

To serve

steamed short-grain ricePerfect Rice
1head butter lettuceleaves separated
2 tbspgochujangor ssamjang, for dabbing
kimchioptional

Diet: Dairy-free
Allergens: soy, gluten, sesame, fish, crustaceans
Origin: Korea

Method

Mix the marinade ingredients. Toss with the sliced beef and onion. Marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours in the fridge (no longer, or the pear makes the meat mushy). 30 min
Heat a large cast-iron pan or heavy frying pan over high heat until smoking. Add a little of the oil.
Lift a third of the beef and onion from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and spread it in a single layer. Sear without moving for 1 minute, until caramelized underneath, then toss and cook 1 minute more, until just cooked through — the thin slices reach a safe 63°C (145°F) almost instantly and should be browned with no pink. 2 min
Tip onto a platter and repeat with the rest, wiping out the pan if the marinade burns.
Scatter with sesame seeds. Serve with rice, lettuce leaves for wrapping, gochujang and kimchi.

Why it works

Asian pears carry a mild protein-softening enzyme, but most of the tenderness comes from slicing paper-thin across the grain; the pear's sugars help the surface caramelize fast. Partly freezing the beef makes that thin slicing easy. Searing in small batches keeps the pan hot enough to brown rather than boil the meat in its marinade.

Common mistakes

Marinating overnight with pear — the meat turns soft and grainy.
Overcrowding the pan, which stews the beef in liquid.
Slicing with the grain, giving chewy strips.

Variations

Pork bulgogi (dwaeji): Use thinly sliced pork shoulder and add 2 tbsp gochujang to the marinade; cook to 71°C (160°F).
Bulgogi rice bowls: Serve over rice with a fried egg, sautéed spinach and carrot matchsticks.

Make ahead and storage

Slice and marinate up to 4 hours ahead. Cooked bulgogi keeps 2 days.

Notes

Many Asian grocers sell pre-sliced bulgogi beef. Gochujang contains wheat; use a gluten-free brand and tamari for a gluten-free meal. Fish and crustaceans only from the kimchi; check its label.