Bulgogi is a funny word. Especially when you say it over and over again to a point where it loses all meaning. But luckily for me, I only said Bulgogi a few times while making this dish, so I didn't over complicate anything. Go ahead and try it...bulgogi,bulgogi,bulgogi,bulgogi,bulgogi,bulgogi...now you see what I'm talking about. What am I rambling about?, oh ya, Bulgogi. You see, my wife was born in Korea. South Korea to be exact, and Bulgogi is an extremely popular dish there and just so happens to be one of her favorite meals. I am curious as to why I have never made this for her in the past, but now I can say I have.
I give YOU, BULGOGI!
So now that, possibly, bulgogi has lost ALL meaning to you, let me re-fresh, or start you off, with what Bulgogi is.
Bulgogi (불고기; /bʊlˈɡoʊɡiː/ bool-GOH-gee;[2] from Korean bul-gogi [pul.ɡo.ɡi]), literally "fire meat", is a gui (구이; Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirloin, rib eye or brisket are frequently used cuts of beef for the dish. The dish originated from northern areas of the Korean Peninsula, but is a very popular dish in South Korea where it can be found anywhere from upscale restaurants to local supermarkets as pan-ready kits.[3]
Fire Meat, sounds right up my alley. So how did we get to that money shot of Bulgogi???
Once upon a time, there was some minced garlic that needed some friends....lol, ya, no...cuttin' to the chase! ;) lesgo!
LEEKS. Can't say I have ever used them before, but glad to be able to cross them off my list.
Now hear me out! The recipe for traditional Korean Bulgogi calls for Grated Asian Pear. Well guess what? I couldn't find any Asian Pear, and I even went to this grocery store only blocks from my house to find some. It's name? Northside Oriental.
So cut me some slack. I went to my local Cub, and they didn't have any in stock either. So according to the video I watched, my next best bet was Kiwi or Pineapple. The reason for the Asian pear is because of a specific enzyme that breaks down the meat and makes it more tender. Kiwi and Pineapple also share this enzyme, but they make the flavor more tropical, than traditional Korean. So I went with a Kiwi and winged it. I got to practice my knife skills peeling it, along with thinly slicing over a pound of sirloin.
So in with the minced garlic goes the diced leeks and the grated Kiwi.
Next is brown sugar.
Then black pepper and sesame seeds.
Lastly the soy sauce.
Then give it all a good mix!
At this point, set your marinade aside and prep your sirloin. Bulgogi is thin slices, so a pro-tip if you want to get some crisp thin slices of beef, or most meats for that matter...pop your meat into the freezer for 20-30 minutes depending on the size, and you'll get a much smoother and cleaner cut of meat. I took great pleasure in trying to perfect the correct size of meat with each knife stroke. The quick freeze really helped with the size consistency.
You can really tell the difference between the two left pieces and the right piece. The two left are the same cut, where as the right one was a totally different piece. So much more fat, visible. More purple in color, as well.
In this clear mixing bowl, it kinda looked like the beef was floating in air. After the marinade was poured over and mixed well, that illusion disappeared, lol.
They recommend 24 hours in the fridge to marinade....but I had 2. Which was double the hour which they said was the minimum. So Boo-Ya!
Internet magic, 2 hours later:
HOLY BULGOGI! WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED COOKING YET!!!
Well it's now or never! Start with a medium to high heat pan and oil, and get the onions going.
Not long after, it's go time with the Bulgogi.
WHAT??? THERE'S MORE PREP???
My bad, one more thing. You gotta chop up some green onion as a garnish. Don't be yellin' at me! I'm just following the recipe!
No real prep on this one, just wash your bibs. They call this Saam. Which basically means one big bite of bulgogi wrapped in a leaf.
I made one of those, but thought best to eat it American style. Cheers to you if you made it this far. Happy #fff, I'm posting this now at 12:40am on Friday the 24th because I won't have time later to do so. Night night all my Steem friends! Have a great weekend!
