Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef)韩式烤牛柳hán shì kǎo niú liǔ

This flavorful grilled beef needs to make an appearance on your summertime dinner soon! Literally speaking, bulgogi means “fire meat” in Korean.  You can grill on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. The thin slices of meat cooks quickly, and it’s so tender. The meat with its delicious glaze is often enjoyed with an addictively tasty dipping sauce.

 Serve 4

650g (1.5 pounds)       sirloin steak, thinly sliced

Marinade sauce

• 2                       spring onions, thinly sliced
• ½                      medium-size yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1                       large Asia pear, core and chopped into cubes
• 2                       garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons  dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon    sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons     lime juice
• 1 teaspoon       freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons  caster sugar

Dipping sauce

• 1 tablespoon               spring onions, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon             Korean chili powder
• ½ tablespoon              caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon                rice vinegar
• 1 to 1.5 tablespoon     light soy sauce (adjust the quantity to your taste and the sodium level of your soy sauce.)
• 1 teaspoon                  sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon                  sesame seeds, toasted

Method

1. To make the marinade sauce, place the sliced spring onions and yellow onions in a large bowl. Core and chop the Asian pear, being careful to save the juices. Then add into the bowl. Combine rest of the marinade ingredients and mix well.
   

   
2. Tenderize the steak by bashing with a meat mallet or rolling pin – this is optional. Then slice the sirloin steak into bite-size strips. The key here is to slice the meat as thin as possible. Throwing the steak in the freezer for 20-30 minutes helps with this process tremendously. Add the beef pieces to the marinade, stirring to coat them, leave to stand for 30 minutes to 2 hours to allow flavors to permeate and the meat to soften. Do not marinade it too long. The meat will become too salty.
   

   

   
3. Heat a heavy griddle pan or frying pan. Add the beef slices and cook over medium heat. The meat cooks  very quickly, literally in seconds. Once the meat is cooked through, serve immediately with the dipping sauce. Garnish with the sliced green spring onion if necessary.