Bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) may be the first Korean dish most people try when introduced to the cuisine. Not too intimidating or off-the-wall and who wouldn’t love grilling meat at the dinner table? The tinge of sweetness from the marinade also makes it delectable for kids. It’s the only way to get mykids to eat beef! I’ve also used the marinade for ground beef to make Korean mini burgers, chicken, and tofu. You can experiment on other meats and let me know how it goes. I’ve tried bulgogi with various cuts of meat, but I found that organic 100% grass fed prime ribeye is my favorite. My DH really likes it and I feel better feeding it to my DS. And yes, my DH has started eating meat again, but is limiting his meat consumption to only “clean” meat. A little expensive, but after watching Food, Inc. and reading Fast Food Nation, we try to make an effort to buy sustainably raised meats as well as eating less meat overall. I think it’s worth it.
I do use maple syrup (not the Aunt Jemima variety) as the sweet component for my bulgogi marinade. I’m not sure if it makes a huge difference, but at least it incorporates more readily than granulated sugar. It’s also not as sweet as white sugar, but offers a little more sweetness than brown sugar. The following batch is enough for about a 1 1/2 pounds of meat. You can adjust the ingredients according to your taste. If you like it sweeter, add more syrup, if you want it a little saltier, add a little more soy sauce or salt.
BULGOGI
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup (or 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar)
1/8 cup sesame oil
1 to 2 green onion stalks, sliced thin
4-5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (or about 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
About 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 to 1 1/2 pounds organic 100% grass fed prime ribeye, sliced thin
Mix the first seven ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add sliced beef and toss until beef is coated. Marinate the beef for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Combining everything in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag works too! If you don’t have access to a grill, you can use a broiler pan with similar results. Broil on high (about 6-inches from heat) for about 5 minutes. Keep an eye it because it cooks quickly. Toss the meat around and broil for another few minutes. Serve immediately!
DH (sorry if i sound stupid, but does that stand for "Dear Husband"?)is eating meat again? Wow! that's new.
DH = Dear HusbandDD = Dear DaughterDS = Dear Sonyes…DH is eating meat again!
I started adding beer to mine (about the same amount as soy sauce). The bitterness of the beer regulated how much sugar would be put in. Is that blasphemy???
Just bought my first piece of grass-fed beef today! This looks like a great recipe.
Thanks for reading! It’s really easy and tasty. I hope you enjoy!
I used this recipe last night. Very flavorful and the kids gobbled it up. It’s now my de facto bulgogi recipe until Umma shares her secrets with me.
Awesome! I like to think that the maple syrup makes a difference!
I always like to read other people’s recipe’s for bulgogi. Yours doesn’t have any fresh ginger. I sometime will add a can of Coke as my secret ingredient. I have never tried maple syrup either. Will try your version soon.
I grew up with bulgogi without fresh ginger since it was not readliy available where we lived. I add it every now and then, but I actually prefer bulgogi without it. The maple syrup is something that I just threw in one day and I really liked it! I’ve heard recipes using soda in the marinade. Thanks for stopping by!