Perfect Bulgogi: Korean BBQ Beef Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 scallions, chopped
• ½ cup coarsely grated pear
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or more to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
• Sauce:
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chile paste)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Step 1

Stir the scallions, pear, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Once everything is well combined, pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add the beef slices, toss to coat them evenly, then squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Let the beef marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or overnight if you have the time.

Step 2

When you’re ready to cook, heat up your grill to medium-high and give the grates a light oiling so the beef doesn’t stick. Take the beef out of the marinade (save the liquid!) and grill the slices for about 3 minutes on each side, until they’re no longer pink in the center. Transfer the cooked beef to a serving dish.

Step 3

Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan along with some extra soy sauce, water, gochujang, a teaspoon of brown sugar, and a teaspoon of mirin. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until it thickens into a nice sauce. Drizzle this sauce over the grilled beef and enjoy!