Bulgogi - Korean Beef BBQ

An iconic and popular Korean BBQ beef dish. Note - be sure to add 30 minutes marinade time to the prep and cooking time. As an option, you can add sliced onions, mushrooms, bell pepper and/or carrots. The traditional method is to use a charcoal grill, using a fine mesh grate or basket to keep the meat from falling through, but you can also pan fry or use a broiler.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  lb  sirloin, thinly sliced
• 3  tablespoons soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons light brown sugar (white sugar ok)
• 1  tablespoon honey (2 t sugar is also ok )
• 2  tablespoons rice wine (mirin or red wine works too)
• 1  tablespoon  sesame oil
• 2  tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2  teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1  tablespoon green onion, chopped
• 2  tablespoons pears, puree (Asian pear if available, or 1 Tbs grated kiwi or 3 Tbs onion puree work as well)

Directions

1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together except for the beef and any optional vegetables as mentioned in the description.
2. Add the beef (and any optional vegetables) to the marinade prepared above – in a large bowl or zip bag. Make sure the marinade is well mixed with the beef. You will need to use your hands here and just massage everything together.
3. While the beef is in the marinade, heat the charcoal until the coals are grey. Add the meat slices and any vegetables to the mesh tray or basket. Turn the beef slices (and vegetables if using) a time or two while cooking. They will only take a few minutes, but you want to make sure they are cooked through and slightly charred for the best flavor.
4. If pan-frying, pan should be hot enough so that the meat sizzles as it touches the pan. Also, if you put too much meat into the pan and/or the heat is too low, you will end up with a lot of the meat juice leaking out of the bulgogi and you end up with Bulgogi stew.
5. Serve with rice, or wrapped in lettuce leaves, or make a bulgogi bowl with rice on the bottom and beef and vegetables placed on top.