Get Premium access to all the latest content online
Subscribe and view full print editions online... Subscribe
Seoul-style bulgogi
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 100g dangmyeon (Korean vermicelli), optional
- 500g bulgogi beef (see Cook’s note on p124) or thick-cut rib-eye, chuck or sirloin, sliced wafer thin
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 200g mixed mushrooms such as oyster, shiitake, enoki or shimeji, sliced
- 3 spring onions, sliced 1cm thick diagonally
- steamed rice, to serve (optional)
For the base stock
- 2.5cm square piece of dasima (dried kelp)
- 1tbsp yondu (seasoning sauce)
- 1/2tsp Marmite
For the marinade
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Asian pear or other sweet pear or apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2tsp sliced root ginger
- 1tbsp soft brown sugar
- 3tbsp saké
- 3tbsp soy sauce
- 2tbsp mirin
- 1tbsp jocheong (Korean rice syrup) or neutral-tasting honey
- 1tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2tsp cracked black pepper
Method
Soak the dangmyeon, if using, in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain. Prepare the base stock by putting the dasima, yondu, Marmite and 200ml warm water in a small, lidded pan. Stir to combine and let it gently steep on a low simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.
Meanwhile, make the marinade. Put the onion, pear or apple, garlic, ginger, sugar and saké in a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, jocheong or honey, sesame oil and black pepper. Combine well.
Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper to remove any sitting blood. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and gently shake the meat to separate. Pour the marinade over the beef and massage together by hand to evenly coat the meat.
To assemble the dish, layer a flameproof shallow casserole dish with the sliced onions at the bottom, then spread the marinated beef at the centre on top of the onions, leaving some space around the edges. Fill the edges with the mushrooms, dangmyeon, if using, and spring onions, reserving some of the green parts for the garnish.
When the base stock is ready, discard the dasima and carefully pour the stock into the side of the casserole dish. Bring the mixture to just boiling, then simmer steadily over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes until the noodles, if using, are cooked and the beef is meltingly tender. Check for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Remove from the heat, scatter with the reserved spring onions and serve immediately with a bowl of steamed rice, if using.
COOK’S NOTE
Find pre-sliced beef for
bulgogi in the freezer section
of Korean grocers. Thinly sliced
beef labelled as ‘for shabu
shabu’ or ‘sukiyaki’ also make
a good substitute.
Advertisement