The Marinated barbecue beef | Bulgogi is an essential part of a Korean meal. Wafer-thin slices of sirloin steak are steeped in a marinade containing Asian pear and sesame oil. The meat is quickly grilled, then served with a number of different dips, condiments such as the traditiona kimchee, and vegetable side dishes.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1⁄2lb (750g) sirloin beef with a good marbling of internal fat
1 Asian pear
1 onion
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped pinch of salt
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine such as Shaoxing
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Remove any excess fat from the piece of beef. Slice the meat into ¼in (6mm) thick slices, or ask your butcher to do this. Peel and grate the pear; repeat with the onion into the same bowl. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt to form a paste. Combine the soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Add the brown sugar and garlic paste, and season with lots of black pepper.
2. Take a handful of the pear and onion pulp, and squeeze the juice into a bowl; discard the pulp. Repeat until you have extracted all the juice. Put the the combined juices, beef, and rice wine in a large bowl.
3. Massage the beef with this acidic liquid for 2 minutes. Pour the marinade ingredients over the meat-rice wine mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
4. Heat a large skillet or ridged cast-iron grill pan over a high heat. Drain the beef slices. When the pan is hot, sear the meat for 1 minute on each side. Serve immediately with accompaniments such as spicy kimchee.
5. The beef is sweet, sour, and salty. Serving it with a hot dressing or condiment such as the one used with the sea bass on p143 means that you have a balance of all the main tastes.
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| Marinated barbecue beef recipe |