Host a Korean Cooking Party: Bulgogi

Posted on 09. Jul, 2012 by Linda in Cuisine, Culture, Hansik, Korean Culture, Korean food, Korean Language, Recipes

Host a Korean Cooking Party/ Photo provided by: 류시형

Many of you are Korean language and culture enthusiasts, immersing yourself in all things Korean. I would love to hear about your adventures in learning.

One of my favorite aspects of learning a new language and culture is discovering its cuisine. Food brings people together; often a meal can bridge different cultures and inspire unlikely connections. For example, I introduced a Saudi Arabian friend to one of the most recognized Korean dishes, bulgogi. She now makes a halal version for her family.

Bulgogi/ Photo provided by: 류시형

If you’re learning Korean, a language and cultural immersion day is a great way to bring people of all cultures together. What better way to ignite a language and cultural immersion day than to have a cooking party? For the language learning factor, our software tutorials provides food-oriented words and phrases. I’ve actually given the Byki Deluxe 4 to a friend who is learning to cook Korean food. You can also download our free software and sign up for our word of the day e-mails; all provide helpful words and phrases related to cooking, ordering food at a restaurant, and buying food at a grocery store. And, I’d be happy to create a list of key food-oriented words for you; please respond to this article if you’d like to know specific words and or phrases! I’m also available on Twitter and Facebook.

My pure enthusiasm toward Korean food is perhaps the chief motivating factor behind my eagerness to share authentic recipes with you. In a previous article, I provided a recipe for japchae, a popular Korean noodle dish. But, one of the most recognized Korean dishes is bulgogi (불고기), which means “fire meat”. This is a simple dish to create; the recipe is below.

불고기 RECIPE:

불고기 is a sweet and savory grilled beef dish. Below, is a recipe for up to 5 lbs. of 불고기.

Ingredients:

5 lbs. of bulgogi beef (ask the butcher for thinly sliced beef rib-eye)
1 bunch of green onions (2 inch slices cut at an angle)
Toasted sesame seeds (white)
Sesame seed oil (1 -2 tsp.)
Honey
Marinade:

Soy sauce (1 cup)
Dark brown sugar, packed (1 cup)
Black pepper (1 TBS.)
Minced ginger (1 TBS.)
Minced garlic (1 tsp.)

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl mix in the marinade ingredients. Do NOT add the beef until after you mix the marinade ingredients. Pour 1 c. of soy sauce and stir in 1 c. of dark brown sugar. Note: always use the same ratio for soy sauce and sugar. Then, add 1 TBS. of black pepper, 1 TBS. of minced ginger, and 1 TBS. of minced garlic. Mix all of the ingredients until the sugar is blended.

Place the beef into a larger bowl. Pour the marinade over the beef and using your gloved hand, massage and mix the marinade and beef together. Once the beef is well-coated, add the sesame seed oil (gradually add 1-2 tsp. of oil). Note: it is important to add the sesame seed oil after the marinade because it blocks the marinade from fully flavoring the beef. After you mix in the sesame seed oil, cover and refrigerate the beef for at least 2 hours (ideally, you should let it marinate overnight).

Once you’re ready to cook the beef, take the beef out and drizzle a little honey on. Mix and massage the beef with your gloved hands. Then, heat up a dry pan/wok. Once the pan is hot, add the beef. Note: you will not need to add any more oil, because the meat is already coated in sesame seed oil. Cook the beef on medium heat. Add the green onion slices while cooking. Once the 불고기
is done, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. Optional: add grilled onions.

ENJOY!

Tags: Korean cuisine, Korean culture