Cooking in

Vernon · the Okanagan

Nearest city · Kelowna Change

Korean · Korea

Bulgogi

Bulgogi (fire meat) is thinly sliced beef — rib-eye or sirloin — marinated in soy sauce, pear, sesame oil, garlic, and sugar, then quickly grilled or pan-cooked over high heat. The pear (or Asian pear) contains enzymes that tenderise the beef and add a natural sweetness. The result should be tender, juicy, caramelised at the edges, and sweet-savoury. It is the most accessible of Korean barbecue preparations.

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Serves4

Total30 min

Within reach0of 6 in Vernon

Six not yet within reach.

How the 6 are reached

Not yet within reach: 6 · beef ribeye or sirloin, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, green onions, toasted sesame seeds

Cook

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The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

800 g

beef ribeye or sirloin

thinly sliced against grain (3 mm)

Not yet within reach of Vernon · each reach is counted

60 ml

soy sauce

Not yet within reach of Vernon · each reach is counted

30 ml

mirin

Origin · JapanNot yet within reach of Vernon · each reach is counted

30 ml

sesame oil

Your own market

20 ml

rice vinegar

Your own market

garlic cloves

minced

Your own market

15 g

ginger

minced

Origin · New ZealandNot yet within reach of Vernon · each reach is counted

3 g

white pepper

Your own market

2 g

kosher salt

Your own market

30 g

white onion

thinly sliced

Your own market

2 g

sugar

Your own market

green onions

cut into 2 cm lengths

Not yet within reach of Vernon · each reach is counted

3 g

toasted sesame seeds

Not yet within reach of Vernon · each reach is counted

Within reach counts in town, delivered, shipped and the nearest city. A staple counts once it has a local seller. Charted from each shop's own pages; not yet vouched by a cook who shops here.

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The Method

Whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic, minced ginger, white pepper, salt, and sugar; fold in onion and green onion.

Layer beef slices in non-reactive container; pour marinade over, separating layers gently; cover and refrigerate minimum 4 hours, up to 24 hours.

Remove bulgogi from refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking; bring to room temperature.

Heat heavy skillet or grill pan to high heat until smoking; working in batches, arrange beef slices in single layer (do not overlap).

Sear 1–2 minutes per side without moving (allow caramelization); transfer to platter as each batch finishes.

Pour any remaining marinade into hot pan and reduce 30 seconds; drizzle over beef; garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately with rice and banchan.

III

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where bulgogi lives or dies is the caramelisation — the sugar in the marinade burns quickly at high heat, creating the characteristic sweet, sticky char. This is desirable; it is not burning. The beef should have dark, slightly crispy edges (from the caramelised sugar and soy) and a tender, juicy interior. Achieve this by cooking in very small batches (4-5 slices at a time) over maximum heat.

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