Bulgogi 불고기 (Sweet Beef)

This is one of my favourite ways to eat beef. It is not complicated to make either, although you need a few hours for it to marinade. This is one of the best things to cook if you are introducing someone to Korean cookery because its not too unusual in flavour or appearence.

This recipe is a combination of a few that I have found in various places, with my own changes too.

Serves about 4 people as a side dish. Quantities are approximate!

Ingredients

1 pound of beef

I have successfully used a variety of cuts before. Sirloin Steak is the best however, although more expensive. A word on quantities..... if in doubt about how much you need, go for more rather than less because meat shrinks when you cook it, and I never seem to cook enough of this stuff when I make it.

1 Kiwi, with skins removed and roughly chopped

I read that you can also use a Fuji apple but I have never tried it. You can get fuji apples in Korean stores in England and also sometimes in supermarkets (referred to on the packet as snacking apples). But I would just buy Kiwi, as you can get those anywhere and it adds a lovely sweet taste to the marinade.

3 tablespoons of sesame oil

I have English sesame oil which is fine. My boyfriend says that Korean sesame oil is better and has a slightly different flavour but it is pricey if you live in England.

3 green onions/spring onions

1 small onion - roughly sliced

1/4 cup of soy sauce

When I say cup I mean small cup. Use Korean or Japanese soy sauce, not Chinese. Japanese soy (eg Kikkoman) is pretty easy to source most places and does fine....I use it a lot.

sugar - add to taste, but probably about a tablespoon

garlic - 2 cloves

black pepper - a dash or two


Directions

• Firstly, slice the beef really thin with a lovely sharp knife, taking care of course not to slice your finger as I once did with some onions. As thin as you can, even if it seems to fall apart. I read in one recipe that you can freeze it and then defrost a little and slice it. I have never tried this myself and I don't think it's necessary unless you are really obssesed with getting it that thin.
  

• Put the sliced meat into a glass mixing bowl, sprinkle sugar over it (probably about 1 tea spoon) and mix it it with your hands...don't go over board with the sugar. You can always add more later.

• Finely chop up the garlic. Chop the spring onions. I prefer to cut them horizontally in the white part so that you have little circles and then vertically in the green part into 1 inch pieces. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the meat/sugar mixture.

• Prepare the marinade by putting the onion and kiwi into a blender and blending until it becomes a liquid.Put that in a bowl on its own.
  

• Mix together the soy sauce, remaining sugar, sesame oil and black pepper. Then taste it. It should be slightly salty but sweet too. If it is too salty, add more sugar.

• Put all the mixtures in with the meat and mix well...again with your hands - it gets it properly mixed and feels nice and messy!

• If possible leave this in the fridge to marinade overnight. If that is not an option, try and give it at least a few hours. It does improve the flavour. I have made it all and cooked it in one go beore and it was OK but not as good.

• When you are ready to cook, simply cook in a frying pan on a low/medium heat for a few minutes - depending on how rare you like your beef and serve hot. You don't need to add oil to the pan when you cook it.

What to eat it with - I usually do this as a side dish with rice dishes where there are salad leaves that you can wrap the meat and rice up in. However, it has a gentle, sweet flavour and would go with most things that you want to cook. If you make enough of it you can use it as a main dish.

Enjoy!!