Cooking in
Victoria
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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I
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)
60 ml
soy sauce
30 ml
mirin
Origin · Japan
30 ml
sesame oil
Your own market
20 ml
rice vinegar
Your own market
8
garlic cloves
minced
Your own market
15 g
ginger
minced
Origin · New Zealand
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
2
green onions
cut into 2 cm lengths
3 g
toasted sesame seeds
II
The Method
1
Whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic, minced ginger, white pepper, salt, and sugar; fold in onion and green onion.
2
Layer beef slices in non-reactive container; pour marinade over, separating layers gently; cover and refrigerate minimum 4 hours, up to 24 hours.
3
Remove bulgogi from refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking; bring to room temperature.
4
Heat heavy skillet or grill pan to high heat until smoking; working in batches, arrange beef slices in single layer (do not overlap).
5
Sear 1–2 minutes per side without moving (allow caramelization); transfer to platter as each batch finishes.
6
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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V
What to Pour
The pairing
Shochu
From Victoria
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The whole pairingPillar VI
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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The working kitchen