Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Beef)
Korea's signature meat dish of thinly sliced beef marinated in pear and soy sauce, then stir-fried with vegetables.
Method
Mix the soy sauce, sugar, grated pear, minced garlic, mirin, sesame oil and pepper to make the marinade. Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper, add it, massage well and marinate for 30 minutes.
Add in this stepThinly sliced beef for bulgogi (sirloin or chuck) 300 gSoy sauce 2½ tbspSugar 1 tbspPear (grated) 60 gMinced garlic 1 tbspMirin (sweet rice wine) 1 tbspSesame oil 1 tbspBlack pepper 1 pinch
Heat the oil in a 26 cm pan and stir-fry the sliced onion, carrot and mushrooms over medium-high heat for until slightly softened, then move to a plate.
Add in this stepCooking oil 1 tbspOnion ½Carrot 30 gShiitake or oyster mushrooms 60 g
medium-high heatHeat the same pan over high heat, spread out the meat and stir-fry it. Take it out when the liquid has cooked off and no pink remains. So the meat does not overlap in the pan, cook it in 1 batch(es), in total.
high heatPut all the meat and vegetables back in the pan, add the diagonally sliced green onion and heat over medium heat for , stirring.
Add in this stepLarge green onion (or leek) 1
medium heatServe sprinkled with sesame seeds, with rice and lettuce leaves on the side.
Add in this stepToasted sesame seeds ½ tsp
Cook's tip
If you add too much meat at once, it releases water and turns tough, as if boiled. If you have no pear, use 1 tbsp of apple or kiwi instead. Kiwi softens meat quickly, so marinate for no more than 20 minutes.
Cooking it at camp
Marinate the meat at home, pack it in a zip-lock bag and carry it in the cool box so it needs no marinating time at the campsite. Cooking on a grill plate over charcoal or in a cast-iron pan adds a smoky flavour.