Bulgogi {Korean Barbequed Beef}

We've made this dish a handful of times since we've been married, and after eating it again the other night I decided it is going to become a regular on our menu. I love Korean food! I love that most every dish comes with rice, I always feel full and satisfied after eating a Korean meal. It's a different kind of full feeling. You know how when you stuff your face with a burger and fries you feel kind of nasty. Well you can stuff yourself with this and feel pretty darn healthy! :) Enjoy!

This is not a spicy dish, it's petty mild and savory! The thing that adds a little spice is having it with Kimchi which I personally think has to be served with it. We like to make lettuce wraps with rice, Bulgogi and Kimchi.

Bulgogi {Korean Barbequed Beef}

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1-1.5 lbs rib-eye or round steak, thinly sliced (see tip below)
1/3 cup of soy sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 of a medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into medium moon shaped slivers
2 green onions, finely sliced
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 - 1 tsp of red pepper flakes (purchasable at a Korean shop - or just use cayenne)
2 pinches of black pepper
1/4 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced (powdered ginger also works well) (optional)

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl except beef and onions. When most of the sugar has dissolved, add beef and onion slices to the bowl and massage the marinade with your hands into each slice of beef. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. If you have time, 4-6 hrs is better. To pan fry, place a few slices of beef in single layers and completely flat on a hot oiled frying pan and fry each side until cooked. Some people prefer to cook the bulgogi until some of the edges have turned dark brown and crispy. Serve with a bowl of hot sticky rice, and kimchi. Another great way to eat bulgogi is to wrap bulgogi, rice, and kimchi in a leaf of lettuce. Ssam-jang (find at Korean store) mixed with just a little bit of honey is also a great sauce to dip bulgogi in.

Tips and Notes:
Freeze beef partially before slicing. The thinner it's sliced the better it works out. We usually have ours totally frozen and then thaw it in some water for a few minutes so we can actually cut through it. It helps to have a really sharp knife too, we prefer to use a cleaver.

Kimchi is kind of a like a pickled cabbage. It usually has garlic, hot pepper and cabbage that has been fermented. The best stuff we've found is at Korean or Asian food stores, but you can find it in the grocery store (it's not quite as good). And to be honest if my husband wasn't insistent that we'd have it, I would probably have never tasted it. You'll miss out if you don't try it, I really really like it. I think it adds the perfect touch to this dish.

Recipe Source: www.savorysweetlife.com