Beef Bulgogi and Kimchi
Beef Bulgogi and Kimchi Dish Guide
Serves 4 (with plenty of leftover kimchi)
For the Kimchi
1 large head of napa cabbage (3-5 lbs)
2 carrots, grated (about 1 cup)
½ cup sea salt
Thumb sized knob of ginger
10-12 garlic cloves
2-3 scallions, whites chopped and greens sliced thinly
1 t fish sauce (see Dish Notes for alternatives)
½ cup gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
½ Asian pear, diced
Quarter the cabbage and cut out the stems. Chop the leaves into 2-3 inch chunks. Add the cabbage and grated carrot to a bowl. Mix in the ½ cup salt and mix thoroughly, massing the cabbage. Cover with clean, non-chlorinated water and leave out for 2 hour to overnight, ensuring the vegetables are fully submerged.
In a blender mix the ginger, garlic, scallion whites, fish sauce, pear and gochugaru. Blend into a paste adding a splash of water if needed.
Drain the carrots and cabbage thoroughly. Add to large bowl along with the scallion greens and pepper paste. Thoroughly cover each piece of cabbage in the paste (use gloves to prevent hand discoloration). Place in a mason jar or other sealable vessel and pack the cabbage in leaving room for expansion at the top. Cover loosely (do not tighten lid) and leave out for 24-72 hours at room temperature. Check every so often for expansion and use a pairing knife to cut into the cabbage to release gas from fermentation.
After 24-72 hours move to fridge and lid loosely. Kimchi will keep for 6-12 months and is a great condiment for rich dishes and makes a killer fried rice!
For the Bulgogi
1.5 lbs ribeye, sirloin or flank steak
1 T ginger, grated or minced
2-3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
½ Asian pear, grated
2 T brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 t fish sauce
2 t toasted sesame oil
2 T gochujang
1-2 T oil for cooking
Peppers, scallions, and sesame seeds for garnish
Place the steak in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. This will help you slice it thinly. Cut the meat thinly across the grain and remove any excess fat if using ribeye.
Make the marinade by combining the ginger, garlic, pear, soy, sugar, fish sauce, sesame oil and gochujang in a bowl. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes up to overnight.
Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the oil. Sear the beef in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until deeply browned and caramelized.
Serve with steamed rice and garnish with peppers, scallion, and sesame seeds if desired.
Dish Notes
Kimchi can be made vegan by using soy in place of the fish sauce or leaving it out. Coconut aminos can be used as a GF option. The bulgogi marinade could be used on tofu or other plant-based products but again be sure to omit the fish sauce and use vegan brown sugar or maple syrup. Other proteins would be great in the marinade as well. We find flank and sirloin steak are a bit tough in the preparation but are a good cheaper alternative to ribeye.
