Bulgogi

Bulgogi is a traditional Korean preparation for thinly sliced marinated beef. While it can be made with pork or chicken, bulgogi is usually made with beef. Extremely popular at Western Korean BBQ joints, bulgogi is deeply delicious thanks to its signature marinade, which both tenderizes the meat and infuses each bite with complex flavor. This dish isn’t difficult to make, but does take some time: Make it for an extra-special weeknight dinner with friends, served with all your favorite toppings and sides. Here’s everything you need to know.

What People Are Saying:
"Very tasty. Couldn't find any kiwi in town, but had tenderized sirloin steak in the freezer (raised by a local farmer) and it was plenty tender. We haven't had this before, so not sure what traditional is, but both thought it might benefit with some heat. After cooking the beef, I tossed in sugar snap peas. Otherwise, it was delicious and we'll do it again!" - tay6697

"Oh my gosh, I finally found THE recipe that actually tastes the way it's supposed to. I've tried multiple times to make this with varied results. I found this a while ago and wrote it down. It's perfect!" - CyanTrumpet

How To Make Bulgogi

INGREDIENTS

• Beef: The best cut of meat to use for bulgogi is rib-eye because it has a good ratio of fat to muscle. Sirloin also works well because of its tenderness. Super thin slices of meat are key for great bulgogi. Though you can buy thinly sliced meat at an Asian supermarket, you can easily slice the meat yourself. For the thinnest slices, freeze the meat for at least 2 1/2 hours beforehand.
• Yellow Onion: The perfect complement to any hearty steak dish, you'll use up a whole large onion for this recipe. It's part of the marinade in two forms: finely chopped and thinly sliced.
• Garlic: I call for 8 cloves, but you could subtract or add more for your taste. You really can't go wrong with fresh garlic in any savory dish like this one.
• Fuji Apple: You're looking for an apple that has a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, and I thought Fuji was the winner. You could also use Honeycrisp or Gala apples. To take this over the top, if you can find a Korean pear, go for that!
• Kiwi: A surprising ingredient, but it really helps tenderize the meat. It's quite powerful, though, so it limits the marinade time. Be sure not to go for more than 2 1/2 hours. If you want to marinate the bulgogi for longer than 2 hours, then reduce the amount of kiwi used to 1 Tbsp. for up to 4 hours or use no kiwi at all to marinate for up to 6 hours.
• Scallions: Not only are they used in the marinade, they're thinly sliced for the finishing touch, providing a pop of color and subtle crunch.
• Brown Sugar: This dish is the definition of sweet and savory, and brown sugar of course provides the sweetness. It also helps caramelize the beef.
• Soy Sauce: Try to seek out reduced-sodium soy sauce so you can control the salt content. You'll need it for a burst of umami in every bite.
• Mirin: This rice wine beautifully enhances the marinade. It's sweet and tangy and can be used in most other marinades, so be sure to keep some on hand.
• Sesame Oil: Gives a robust nutty taste to the finished dish. Try to seek out the toasted type, which is far more aromatic.
• White Rice: Optional, but turns the bulgogi into a full meal, and the rice soaks up some of the marinade, making the whole dish irresistible.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The first step is to freeze the steak until semi-frozen, so you'll have to plan ahead a little bit. This makes the steak so much easier to slice very thinly, which is essential for great bulgogi.

Next step is to slice the steak as thinly as you can (about 1/8"), being sure to cut against the grain.

In a food processor, puree the chopped onion, apple, garlic, and kiwi until smooth. Pour it all over the meat, then in goes more onion, scallions, brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Using your hands, get all in there and massage the marinade into the steak; this should take a full 2 minutes. Let everything marinade for up to 2 hours.

Finally time to cook! Working in batches, spread the meat in a single layer in a large nonstick skillet. Cook, mostly undisturbed, until both sides are caramelized; this should take 3 to 4 minutes per side. Continue to cook, tossing to make sure meat touches the caramelized bits in the bottom of the skillet, until it looks charred, about 1 minute more.

Transfer to a large platter as you continue on with the batches. If the pan gets too dark, try wiping out the pan between batches. Discard any excess marinade.

Time to serve! Top the bulgogi with scallions and sesame seeds (if you've got 'em, though highly recommended). Serve with some cooked white rice alongside.

The full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Serving Ideas

I highly recommend serving over white rice, so the juices from the steak and marinade get soaked through, plus making this a full meal. You can also have bulgogi with some kimchi alongside. Make it at home, or keep it simple and buy a jar from the store.

Storage

The beef (without kiwi) can be marinated up to 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated. Leftover bulgogi can be stored for up to 3 days. Reheat low and slow, or simply enjoy cold.