This is a very classic, traditional dish from Korea. It is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries as more and more people are discovering not only how delicious it is, but how easy it is to make with ingredients you can get from the supermarket! The beef has a lovely balance of sweet and salty. The use of grated apple and onion is classic Korean and it makes all the difference!
This recipe makes enough for 2 to 3 people, served with rice as a main.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Stir Fry
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 2-3
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Ingredients
Beef
14 oz / 400 g thinly sliced beef, any good quality tender cut suitable for grilling (Note 1)
1scallion/shallot stem, green and white part separated, both finely sliced (Note 2)
1/2large onion(brown, yellow or white), peeled and thinly sliced
1/2medium carrot, peeled, cut vertically then cut into thin slices on the diagonal
1tbspcooking oil(I use peanut or vegetable oil)
1/2tbspsesame seeds
Marinade
3tbspordinary soy sauce(I use Kikkoman)
1 1/2tbspbrown sugar
1tbspmirin(Note 3)
1/2tbspsesame oil
2tbspgrated onion(brown, white or yellow)
2clovesgarlic, minced
3tbspgrated red apple(not green - they are too tart) OR nashi pears
1/2tspminced ginger
Black pepper
Instructions
Blot the beef dry using a paper towel then place into a bowl.
Mix together the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl, then add the beef. Stir gently to coat the beef, cover with cling wrap and set aside to marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Because the meat is thin, you still get good flavour even with 1 hour of marinating.
Heat the oil in a wok or large fry pan over high heat.
Add the onion and white part of the scallion/shallots. Cook for 1 minute.
Then add the beef, including the Marinade, and carrots. Cook for around 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the beef is just cooked.
Remove from heat, then toss through the sesame seeds.
Serve immediately with rice - or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and the reserved green part of the scallions.
Notes
1. As with all stir fries, this cooks very quickly so you need to use a decent cut of beef for it. Rump, flank, sirloin, t-bone and scotch fillet are excellent for this recipe.Slice the beef against the grain. When you look at the beef, you will notice that the fibres are mostly going in one direction. Place the beef in front of you so the fibres are going left to right. Then cut through the fibres i.e. cut perpendicular to the direction of the fibres (see here for illustrative image). Cutting it this way makes the beef more tender!Slow cooking cuts, like chuck, are not suitable unless you tenderise it (see How to tenderise beef the Chinese restaurant way)You can actually find very thinly sliced frozen beef at Asian grocery stores. If you have one in your area, this is a fantastic tip! Note only is it cheaper, you save yourself the cutting time and it is super handy to have in your freezer for quick stir fries.2. I separate the green and white part of the scallion because I cook the white part and use the green part as garnish.3. Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine used for cooking. You can substitute with dry sherry or sake + 1/2 tsp of sugar. If you cannot have alcohol in your cooking, substitute with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar + 1/2 tsp sugar.4. Adapted from this recipe: Bulgogi - Korean BBQ Beef by My Korean Kitchen. A wonderful blog for authentic Korean recipes and provides great information about Korean ingredients. It's run by Sue who is a Korean living in Australia which is great because it means I know I can get all the ingredients she uses!