Bulgogi is one of Korea’s most popular dishes and it’s now one of ours. It translates to “fire meat” which references its traditional cooking method using a grill over open flames, but can also describe its “oo, that has a kick” flavor. The minced fruit added to the marinade gives the beef a juicy sweetness which playfully contrasts with kimchi’s fermented tang and spice. The other heat in this dish comes from gochujang, a spicy Korean chili paste. Zip on down and check out your local Asian market where you’ll find gochujang, Asian pears, kimchi and other wonderful delicacies. If you don’t have a local Asian market in your area, you can use the more widely available sriracha in place of gochujang, an apple instead of an Asian pear, and skip the kimchi. The heat and sweetness of the shaved beef; spicy, tangy kimchi; crunchy, refreshing cucumber; and mellow rice make this dish a delight to all your taste receptors.
Beef Bulgogi
Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 5 green onions, 3 halved and chopped into 2” pieces, 2 thinly sliced for garnish
- 2 carrots, peeled into thin ribbons
- 1 lb shaved beef, precut or sliced yourself
- 5 tbsp soy sauce, divided
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, divided
- 6 tbsp brown sugar, divided
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ Fuji apple (or ½ Asian pear), grated or minced
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup short grain white rice
- 2 tsp salt + more to taste
- ¼ cup gochujang hot chili paste
- Juice from 1 lime (about 4 tablespoons)
- ½ cucumber, julienned
- 1 cup kimchi or more, for serving
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine 4 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated apple, and ground black pepper. Whisk until combined and sugar is dissolved.
Add sliced onion, 3 chopped scallions, carrot ribbons, and sliced steak to the bowl. Mix until veggies and meat are well coated. Vacuum seal the meat and veggies and place into Suvie pan. (Here’s our DIY vacuum sealing guide). Fill the pan with enough water to cover the bag of meat and veggies and load into Suvie.
Add jasmine rice to a starch pan with 2 tsp salt. Load into Suvie. Enter My Cook settings and cook or schedule.
My Cook Settings
Protein: 130 °F for 60 minutes
Vegetable: 0 minutes
Starch: 15 minutes
During the cook, stir together gochujang, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp brown sugar, and lime juice.
Julienne the cucumber and mix with ⅓ cup rice vinegar.
Thinly slice 2 green onions.
When the cook is complete, remove the meat and veggies bag from the water. Pour contents into a fine-mesh strainer and press the meat and veggies with a wooden spoon to remove excess marinade. Divide the meat-veggie combo between two dry Suvie pans.
Broil for 5 minutes.
Divide the prepared gochujang sauce between the two pans and toss to coat.
Return the pans to Suvie and broil for 5-10 more minutes until steak is browned.
To assemble, divide the rice among four bowls. Place bulgogi beef, kimchi and sliced cucumber over rice. Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Wine Pairing
The sweet and savory umami flavor of this meal make it a perfect match for light to medium bodied wines with a low amount of tannins. We recommend either a dry Rosé or a Pinot Noir.
