Article dedicated to Korean cuisine - hot bulgogi BBQ (2024)

FAQs

What is bulgogi in Korean cuisine? ›

Bulgogi generally refers to thinly sliced beef marinated in a sauce that is a mix of soy sauce, sugar or honey, sesame oil, garlic, onion, and often pureed Asian pear. Many Korean home cooks tend to marinate the beef overnight and then grill or stir-fry it with sliced onions, scallions, mushrooms, and other vegetables.

The savory beef combined with the sweet, gingery marinade is always a big hit. The word bul means fire in Korean, and goki means meat. So this is “fire meat!” Delicious bulgogi depends on three things: a good cut of beef, a delicious marinade, and the method you use to cook it.

There are three types of bulgogi that are typically served at restaurants today – Gwangyang-style of South Jeolla Province, Eonyang-style of South Gyeongsang Province and last but not least, the Seoul-style.

Bulgogi came from the Korean word bul-gogi (불고기), consisting of bul ("fire") and gogi ("meat"). The compound word is derived from the Pyongan dialect, as the dish itself is a delicacy of Pyongan Province, North Korea.

While the traditional Korean BBQ (or Galbi) made with beef short ribs does have numerous dietary benefits due to its low calorie ingredients and cooking method, we chose to make ours even leaner with sirloin steak. We also reduced the sodium by using lite soy sauce.

A Korean barbecue feast includes all kinds of textures — chewy and crunchy — and tastes: sweet, savory, spicy, sour, and bitter. Korean barbecue is a feast for the senses. Freshly grilled meat can be eaten straight after grilling.

Korean BBQ has a long history dating back to the Goguryeo Dynasty in 37 BC, where grilled meat was a common part of the royal court cuisine. However, it was not until the Joseon Dynasty in the 17th century that meat dishes became more accessible to the general public.

It's pretty much perfect in terms of “healthy-ish comfort food”. This recipe is super affordable, even if you're on a small budget. We're saving some money by using ground beef instead of rib-eye or sirloin steak, which are more expensive cuts.

Early History and Origins. The term 'bulgogi' comes from Korea and translates to 'fire meat' as it was originally cooked using skewers on a hwaro grill. This ubiquitous meal's early history and origin date back to the Goguryeo era (37 B.C. to 668 A.D.), when it was initially called maekjeok.

Is bulgogi spicy or sweet? ›

Bulgogi is a very well-known and old Korean dish of thinly sliced marinated meat quickly cooked over heat. Bulgogi made with beef is not normally spicy, the marinade is usually a bit sweet.

The flavor of bulgogi is savory, salty and sweet. Our recipe has a mildly sweet and salty flavor – more mild than other recipes or what you may have tasted from a Korean bbq restaurant.

To eat, wrap a spoonful of rice, a piece of bulgogi, and a little bit of ssamjang in a lettuce leaf. Fold it over and eat. Repeat!

Bulgogi is a sweet, salty beef dish that is comparable to teriyaki but much more rich and flavorful. Whereas teriyaki is solely sweetened with sugar, bulgogi relies also on fruit sugar to add an extra depth of flavor.

Bulgogi is typically made with almost paper-thin slices of the most tender cuts of beef. Rib-eye is the most common cut of beef with top sirloin coming in a close second. That being said, I have used both rib-eye and flank steak for this Beef Bulgogi recipe and honestly, I could barely tell a difference!