A Korean classic; intensely flavorful and absolutely delicious. Goes wonderfully with rice and some pickled vegetables. It's surprisingly easy to make as long as you follow these essential tips: slice the steak relatively thinly and don't move it around much once you put it in the pan, use VERY high heat, and cook it quickly. As always, feel free to adjust the marinade to your preference. Some interesting ideas in the "Notes and Tips" section...
Active Time: 25 min
Total Time: 2 hr 30 min
> steak (1.5 lbs)
> neutral oil
> green onion
> sesame seeds
Marinade:
> reduced sodium soy sauce (1/4 cup)
> brown sugar (2 tbsp)
> sesame oil (2 tbsp)
> garlic (3 cloves, minced)
> ginger (1 tbsp, minced)
> pear (1/2 small, peeled + grated)
> gochujang (1 tbsp)
1. Cut steak into 1/4 inch slices against the grain. Mix together all the marinade ingredients, and add to a plastic bag with the steak. Push out as much air as possible and ensure the steak is evenly coated with the marinade. Place in the fridge for at least two hours. Flip once or twice in the middle to ensure even marination.
2. Remove steak from the bag and pat mostly dry with a paper towel.
3. Heat neutral oil over very high heat in a grill pan or heavy-bottom skillet. Working in batches, add steak to the pan in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until charred and cooked through. This should take around 2 minutes per side. Repeat.
4. Serve immediately with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
> Any cut of steak would work, but I think ribeye, boneless short rib, or brisket work the best for this dish.
> Low sodium soy sauce is highly recommended. I used regular soy sauce and it turned out overly salty. Alternatively, you could substitute some water for part of the soy sauce, or just reduce the amount of soy sauce.
> I read in this recipe (https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/21/korean-beef-bulgogi/) the suggestion to add 1/2 a small pear, peeled and grated into the marinade. Also works well with apple; adds some additional sweetness and brightness to the dish.
> Make sure to wash the pan you used to sear the meat as soon as you're done cooking. It's probably not good practice to immediately douse a hot pan with cold water, but it'll make it infinitely easier to clean the pan. Burnt marinade is very difficult to get off the pan once it's cooled and stuck.