Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) 불고기

Etymology Lesson:

Bulgogi is a compound word of bul (fire, ë¶ˆ) and gogi (meat, ê³ ê¸°). It litterally translates to "fire-meat". 

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons light soy sauce (light soy sauce is a little different than the Chinese/Japanese soy sauce most Americans are used too, but "regular" soy sauce can be substituted.)

2 tablespoons soju (soju is Korean unrefind rice wine, substitute sake if you can't find soju)

2 tablespoons honey

4 cloves of garlic

1-2 tablespoons ginger

1 tablespoon red pepper paste (flakes)

1 green onion

1 asian pear

1/2 pound thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin (about twice the thinkness of a deli cold cut)

1 head of napa cabbage

1-2 cups of rice (precooking)

pickled garlic cloves (regular can be substituted)

red pepper paste

kimchi

green onion

Directions:

Chop the green onion, ginger and smash/chop the garlic cloves. Puree the asian pear. Mix everything listed above the beef in the ingredient list together. Add the beef and marinate for 1 hour to 1.5 hours. While marinating the beef wash the napa cabbage and chop off the tops of the leaves (think about the size of a slice of bread), save the leaves and discard the core. Cook the rice until it is cooked and sticky. Chop the kimchi into pieces, dice the remaining green onion. On a very hot grill on grill pan cook the marinated beef until medium rare to rare (this happens very quickly, about 1-2 minutes per side due to the thinness of the beef). 

To Serve:

Take a napa cabbage leaf, place in rice, beef, red pepper paste, kimchi, garlic, and green onion. Wrap up like an egg roll/small burrito. Enjoy!

Notes:

1: This is a serving for two people, adjust amounts accordingly for more people.

2: If you don't like hot (spicy) food leave out the red pepper paste.

3: This dish can also be made with pork (Dwaeji gogi ë¼ì§€ 고기) or chicken (Dak gogi ë‹­ 고기). Everything is the same except the meat, and cooking times will be a little different due to how fast the meat cooks (and chicken should be well done but medium rare pork is safe now that pigs are better fed). Koreans usually like thigh meat for dak gogi and the chicken is usually not as thinly sliced so it does take longer to cook.

4: What are you going to do with the rest of the 12 oz. soju bottle? Simple, Soju Bombs! 1-2 oz of soju + 1 12 oz. beer (light to medium lager/ale).

I got laughing at number 4 at the end. You might need the Soju Bombs to put out the fire if you like the spice.

Sounds yummy! I drank soju once...Ick!

@Bri: It's either that or make a lot of Bulgogi. Bulgogi isn't that spicy really, more of a sweet/savory combination, the soondubu jjigae recipe on the other hand can be. @Ranarri: Soju is... an acquired taste. I have some Korean friends, which is how I learned these recipes and to love soju. Oh general warning, there is shrimp in traditional kimchi, so if you have a seafood allergy don't eat/use kimchi.

Kalbi and Meat-jun are my favorites =D I rather have the small bone Kalbi than the big bone one O.o Oh.. and the stone pot rice XD Bibimbap.. i gotta be in the mood, maybe rainy day O.o Oh, and any of the above always with man-doo. everything with man-doo. Then finish it off korean style by eating ice cream after.. though.. idunno why koreans do that.. they all do over here anyways O.o (Kim Chee is always assumed to be in the area wherever korean food's around, right? that's why i didnt mention the Kim Chee o.o) But just for the sake of mentioning, Kim Chee too :/

» Edited on: 2013-02-03 22:57:34

@Acadien: I think you'd probably agree, bulgogi is kind of like "starter" Korean food, closest in a lot of ways to tastes and textures Americans are used too. @Denji: Shhh! I was getting to kalbi (though finding the correct cut is hard, I know butchers that won't do it), bibimbap and mandu. As for the ice cream... why not? Ice cream is awesome! Side note: Don't you love the variety of spellings! Ah, the variety of transliterative spellings. =)

» Edited on: 2013-02-04 02:07:59