A Recipe that is Near and Dear to My Heart: Bulgogi BBQ

I have studied martial arts for several decades. My Grand Master taught me far more than the martial art mindset and self-defense. One was cooking some of his favorite recipes including charcoal grilled bulgogi. I have so many fond memories when I cook bulgogi; sitting in his kitchen learning about his family/Japanese/Korean history while cooking, summer TaeKwonDo and Judo camps and the over 25 years I had him in my life. 

I was taught that delicious bulgogi is dependent on three main things: a good cut of beef, a delicious marinade, and the method you use to cook it. 

First, a good cut of beef always makes for delicious bulgogi: sirloin, tenderloin, or skirt steak are my usual choices. You still can make good bulgogi without these choice cuts. It’s very important to choose marbled beef. Cut the beef thinly against the grain to make it easier to chew. If you are not comfortable with a knife ask your butcher to cut the cut thinly for you.

Secondly, the marinade: the marinade in this recipe is the best that I’ve yet developed & is a variant of what I was taught by my martial arts Grand Master. As I’m constantly experimenting with recipes, I may still develop a better one but this is darn tasty. Also, if you can’t find a Korean pear, use ripe bosc pear: 1 small bosc pear for 1 pound of beef is good.

Thirdly, when we talk about the best cooking methods, grilling over charcoal will always be the best. This is because the marinade, juices and fats drip off the meat onto the coals, burn up there, and then come back to the beef in a wonderful smoke that covers the meat with flavor. You can’t beat charcoal for bulgogi.

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound of beef tenderloin, sliced thinly into pieces ½ inch x 2 inches and ⅛ inch thick
•  VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVE:  You’ll need 10-12 large dried shiitake mushrooms. Add a few white mushrooms if you like them as well.

Marinade (for 1 pound of beef):

• ½ cup of crushed pear
• ¼ cup onion purée
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 chopped green onion
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs brown sugar (or 1 tbs of brown sugar and 1½ tbs rice syrup)
• a pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 tbs toasted sesame oil
• several thin slices of carrot

Directions

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add the sliced beef and mix well.
3. Keep it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for a tougher cut of beef.
4. You can grill, pan-fry, or BBQ right after marinating.
5.  Serve with ssamjang (Korean spicy dipping sauce), rice and a delicious kimchi.

For Vegetarians:
Use the same marinade above and replace beef with mushrooms

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for several hours until they’re soft.
2. Squeeze out any excess water and slice each mushroom thinly.
3. Slice some white mushrooms, carrot, and onion.
4. Mix all of it together in the marinade.
5. Grill, pan-fry, or BBQ.