Skylar's Bulgogi (Korean Beef BBQ)

Soy sauce, sugar, and sesame are key ingredients in this easy Korean BBQ recipe. Bulgogi is Korean BBQ that translates literally into "fire meat." Use top quality beef in this recipe such as that from Tennessee Grass Fed Farm. Rib-eye and sirloin also work well. Make sure the beef is super cold or even frozen to slice is as thin as possible, about 1/8th inch thick. Chef Skylar Bush learned this recipe from a sushi master named Kim, who he worked with in Tuscaloosa. All his Korean friends say it's better than their mom's. Shhhhh. 

Photography By | August 26, 2020

Ingredients

Marinade
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon Sambal or red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 white onion, sliced
  • honey, salt, and pepper to taste
Beef
  • 1 pound grass fed beef filets, cold and sliced as thin as possible
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1.  Place all marinade ingredients except honey, salt, and pepper in bowl and whisk 5-10 seconds. Add sliced beef and gently massage for about half a minute. Put in refrigerator uncovered 30 minutes or up to overnight.

2.  Before cooking. add honey, salt, and pepper to taste.

3.  Heat cast iron or other heavy skillet until scorching hot. Drizzle in sesame oil to coat the pan. When cooking, you want the beef to caramelize, so be sure not to crowd the pan and work in batches if you have to. Stir-fry beef until done, about 3 minutes or so, or until the beef has seared nicely. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. 

Serves 4

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Ingredients

Marinade
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon Sambal or red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 white onion, sliced
  • honey, salt, and pepper to taste
Beef
  • 1 pound grass fed beef filets, cold and sliced as thin as possible
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds