Bulgogi was one of the first things I taught myself to cook from a culture not my own. The grated pear in the marinade was the revelation — natural enzymes that tenderize and sweeten the beef.
This is built on the Component Method — protein, starch, vegetable, sauce. The marinade itself becomes the sauce as it cooks down with the beef in the pan. Short-grain rice on one side, quick-pickled cucumber and carrot on the other, kimchi if you have it. Twenty-five minutes from start to finish.
Soundtrack from Vol. I: Park Hye Jin's hypnotic lo-fi house — bilingual, smoky, pulsing with Seoul's late-night energy.
Chapter: Weeknight Dinners · Cuisine: Korean · Volume: Vol. I — 60 Internationally Inspired Dinners
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ribeye or sirloin — sliced thin against the grain
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Asian pear — grated (or 2 tbsp sugar)
- 4 cloves garlic — minced
- 1 inch ginger — grated
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- Black pepper, freshly cracked
- Short-grain rice — for serving
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 carrot
- Rice vinegar, sugar, and salt — for pickling
- Sesame seeds and scallions — to garnish
- Gochugaru (optional, for heat)
- Store-bought kimchi — to serve
Method
- Make the marinade and marinate. Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, grated pear, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and black pepper. Toss the thinly sliced beef in the marinade. Marinate at least 30 minutes — overnight is ideal.
- Cook the rice (starch). Rinse short-grain rice until water runs clear. Combine with equal parts water, bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Rest 10 minutes off heat, then fluff.
- Pickle the cucumber and carrot (vegetable). Slice cucumber and carrot into thin rounds. Toss with rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and salt. Let sit 15 minutes while you cook the beef. Serve alongside store-bought kimchi.
- Sear the beef (protein) hot and fast. Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot. Sear the marinated beef in batches, 2–3 minutes per batch. Don't crowd the pan — you want the marinade to caramelize, not steam. The marinade cooks with the beef and becomes the sauce.
- Plate and garnish. Pile beef over hot short-grain rice. Pickled vegetables and kimchi on the side. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions. A pinch of gochugaru if you want heat.
Cook with intention. Feel and taste your way through it. Keep one clog in the kitchen. Always.
— Brian W. Bonanno