My foodie friend, Tara C, recently posted on Facebook about a special family dinner at Salt Korean BBQ, a newish restaurant, in North Wales, Pennsylvania. I haven’t had Korean food in so long and her post inspired me to try my hand at making bulgogi which translates to ‘fire meat.’ It is thin slices of beef that are marinated and cooked on a grill or stovetop. The flavor and smell bring me back to my childhood.

Growing up in Los Angeles, one of our preferred places to go for a special meal was Woo Lae Oak in Koreatown. It was an upscale restaurant with a special section where you took off your shoes and sat on the floor on cushions. That was our favorite place to sit. We’d then cook bulgogi and other marinated meats on a grill set into the table. The meat was served with a variety of side dishes including spinach, bean sprouts and kimchi. This is where my stepfather learned to love kimchi – we had a jar in the refrigerator growing up and he has continued that tradition to this day. I must admit that I recently became a kimchi fan – I think it was too spicy for me as a child. Sadly Woo Lae Oak is no longer in business having closed about a decade ago.

Bulgogi isn’t difficult to make but one thing is important – slicing the beef as thinly as possible. For the Super Bowl this year, I made a cheesesteak dip and got sliced ribeye from Worrell’s, our favorite butcher in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Recalling that, I went to Worrell’s to find meat for this meal. Given that Philadelphia is home to the cheesesteak, you’ll not be surprised that Worrell’s typically stocks one pound packs of shaved ribeye in their freezer section. The meat is so thin that it defrosts quickly. If you’re slicing it yourself, wrap a fresh ribeye in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Freezing it makes it easier to cut. Then unwrap it and slice across the grain as thinly as you can (1/4-inch or finer). 

Be sure to set aside enough time to marinate the meat. While four hours or so will do, overnight is preferred. The ingredients are straight forward (soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger) except for two that you might not have on hand – a pear and gochujang (Korean red pepper paste). For all these years I had no idea that a grated ripe pear is the secret ingredient to making good bulgogi. It both tenderizes the meat and adds some desired sweetness. While an Asian pear is preferred, any will do. Look for gochujang in the Asian aisle of your market. If you can’t find it, sriracha is a good substitute (although that may be harder to find in 2023 given the shortage of chiles used to make Sriracha).

Not only did Tara inspire me to make bulgogi at home, she also inspired us to make a trip to North Wales for lunch at Salt Korean BBQ on a recent weekend. We enjoyed a delicious Korean BBQ meal, including bulgogi and bibimbap, which came with more sides than I recall from my childhood. Everything was so good – we highly recommend it. While it’s not that convenient to us, it was worth the trip and we will definitely go back.

This meat is so good you might find yourself eating more than you usually do. While 1-1/2 pounds will feed four people, considering making a bit more.

Bulgogi

 

Bulgogi
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 pounds boneless ribeye steak
  • ½ small ripe fresh pear, peeled and coarsely grated (see Notes)
  • ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce (see Notes)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced or grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) (see Notes)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Serve with steamed brown rice and kimchi
Instructions
  1. You want the steak to be as thin as possible. Wrap the steak in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Unwrap and slice across the grain as thinly as you can (1/4-inch or finer). Alternatively, ask your butcher to shave a ribeye steak (like how the meat is prepared for a cheesesteak).
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and gochujang.
  3. In a gallon size resealable bag, combine the steak and soy sauce mixture. Marinate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large cast iron grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Working in batches, add steak to the pan in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until charred and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and steak.
  6. Garnish with green onions. Serve immediately with steamed brown rice, kimchi and a vegetable.
Notes
* If you can’t find an Asian pear, substitute any pear you can find. The more ripe the pear the better as it will be more sweet.
* To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari (check the label to ensure it is gluten-free) and check the label on the gochujang.
* A good substitute for gochujang is sriracha.
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Source:  Variation of a recipe from the Damn Delicious