Korea – Beef Bulgogi

by Eveyln Brutz

Bulgogi is a Korean grilled beef dish. It is marinated beef that is cooked by grilling and barbecue. The smoky flavored beef is very delicious and tasty. It is very soft meat and has a crispy brown texture by grilling over direct heat. When the marination is done with suitable spices and vegetables, it will make it even softer and locks its juices inside the meat. For long marination, the flavors and spices absorbed by the meat and flavors are felt from inside. It is a very tasty dish because thin strips of beef meat are taken. The reason for these thin strips is to cook easily and taste invaginates into the beef properly.

This dish is famous for Beef meat but we can have pork meat as well. Pork is very favorite meat nowadays. This dish is also cooked from Pork meat. The procedure is the same for pork. Marination is made on beef or pork and then cook by grilling. Grilling has many techniques to follow. Either we can roast the meat by grilling process and barbecue the meat by charcoal. Direct heat is necessary to apply on the beef for getting the smoky burnt flavor.

HEALTHY BENEFITS OF HAVING BULGOGI

• Beef provide the source of nutrients like Carnitine.
• Beef is important for health in having the problems like diabetes, weight loss, heart problem, etc.
• Beef provide the glutatione, an anti oxidant
• Preventing illness
• Reducing the risk of disease and malnutrition
• Strengthens the body’s immune system
• Provide muscle mass and maintain muscle tone
• It is rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphate, etc.

HISTORY OF BULGOGI

Bulgogi is a dish that originated from the Guguryo Era. It was known before as Jeok.

Maekjoek is a dish that was first time cooked with Beef meat on skewers. Then a new dish was created known as Neobiani, which means meat on skewers. It was also called Thin Meat on Skewers.

Dongguksesi is a Korean history book in which the name BULGOGI was recorded. This explains that the thinly sliced meat of 0.5 cm thick, skewed on skewers, barbecued on charcoal, also known as FIRE MEAT.

BEEF CUTS USUALLY TAKEN FOR THIS DISH

Some dishes have the importance of meat cuts for getting the exact taste and cooking techniques. This dish is the best to cook in the following beef cuts like given below :

• Ribs
• Flank
• Brisket
• Shank
• Sirloin steaks
• Shin

This dish is from the GUI part of Korean cuisine

GUI

Gui, Guee or Grilled, are the same meaning word in Korean cuisine. This dish is from the Gui part of Korean cuisines that is known for its cooking technique that is GRILLING.

Grilling, roasting, and barbecue are the different cooking techniques but they have seemed to be in the same category of Korean cuisine. Charcoal grilling, Direct heat grilling, Grilling in the oven, Roasting in the oven, Roasting in steam, Barbecue on charcoal for smoky flavor. This is a very amazing technique in which the high heat flames are used to cook beef, chicken, vegetables, etc that locks the moisture in a dish and makes it crispy over the outside.

Meat-based Korean Grilled dishes are :

• Bulgogi : SHREDDED GRILLED BEEF
• Galbi : GRILLED PORK OR BEEF STRIPS
• Saengchi gui : GRILLED PEASANT
• Dakgui  : GRILLED CHICKEN
• Garibi gui : GRILLED SCALLOPS
• Jeonbok gui : GRILLED ABALONE
• Daeha gui : CHINESE WHITE SHRIMP
• Dubu gui : GRILLED TOFU
• Beoseot gui : GRILLED MUSHROOMS
• Songi gui : GRILLED MATSUTAKE
• Gim gui : GRILLED NORI
• Jogi gui : GRILLED CROAKER
• Gomjangeo gui : GRILLED PIKE EEL
• Jangeo gui  : ROASTED EEL

CONSTITUENT OF THIS DISH

1.MEAT

• Beef
• Mutton
• Pork
• octopus
• Chicken
• Fish
• Prawns
• Shrimp, etc.

2. VEGETABLES

• Mushrooms
• Capsisum
• Shiitake
• Cabbage
• Scallions
• Garlic
• Potato
• Carrot, etc.

COMPLEMENTARY ELEMENTS

This dish can be served by adding different side elements to enhance the taste :

• Steamed rice
• Boiled egg
• Fresh scallions
• Sesame seeds
• Sesame oil
• Fried egg
• Omelete
• Boiled rice
• Fried rice
• In sandwiches, etc.

CALORIES IN BULGOGI

• Calories : 350
• Total carbohydrates : 40 grams
• Protein : 100 grams
• Fat : 30 grams

INGREDIENTS OF BULGOGI

• Beef thin strips : 2 pounds
• onions : 1 cup thin slcies
• Rice vinegar : 4 tablespoons
• Soya sauce : 1/2 cup
• Sake : 2 tablespoons
• Sesame seeds : 3 tablespoons
• French beans : 1 cup
• Ginger : 2 tablespoons chopped
• garlic : 6 chopped
• mushrooms shiitake : 1 cup slices
• Scallions : chopped 2
• Sesame oil : 2 tablespoons
• Vegetable oil : 2 tablespoons
• Spinach blanched or boiled : 1/2 cup
• Salt :1 teaspoon
• Black pepper : 1 teaspoon
• Carrots : 1 cup
• Mirin : 2 tablespoons
• Chili flakes : 1 teaspoons

DIRECTIONS OF THE COOKING

• Take beef thin slices in a pot with sesame oil and spices like salt, pepper and mix them properly.
• Marinate for atleast 20 minutes in refreigerator, you can marinate for more time so juicy meat is prepared.
• Take vegetable oil in non stick pan and add vegetables like onion, garlic, ginger and cook them for a while
• Then add other vegetables like carrots, pepper, and mushrooms, french beans in onion garlic with some salt and soya sauce.
• Now add beef strips into cooking pot and cook it on low heat so the moisture makes it more juicier to cook.
• It took around 30 minutes to cook the beef slices and make it crispy brown on high flame for nice color.
• Now mix the vegetables with beef and sesame seeds on the serving dish.
• Serve it with rice and boiled egg.