Korean Bulgogi Beef and Rice

Between my junior and senior year of college, I had the opportunity to spend a summer in Japan. I had landed a summer job that offered a lifetime of memories and some amazing adventures. Some of the people I worked with during my time in Japan are to this day (25 years later, yikes!) some of my closest friends.

As a 20 year old living in a semi-foreign country (I did a two week exchange to Japan in high school, so I kind of had a lay of the land), I can tell you that I was not very adventurous when it came to cuisine. I was still relatively fresh off the farm, so to speak, and growing up we didn’t eat fish. Ever. In fact, at that point of my life, I couldn’t imagine eating a rare steak, let alone raw fish. It wasn’t happening.

So during my time in Japan, I ate a lot of rice and a lot of ramen. However, it wasn’t the good ramen that Japan is famous for. It was literally Top Ramen that I would microwave since I didn’t have a stove or oven. (Poor college student, remember?)

Each week I would do my grocery shopping based on my very limited budget. I couldn’t afford to eat some of my favorite proteins; which, I suppose was ok since I didn’t have a way to cook them anyway. About once every 7-10 days, I would save a portion of my stipend to head out to eat meat.

The first time I found “The Red Cow” it was like a little oasis for a non-fish eater. When I stumbled across it, I had no idea what kind of restaurant it was, but I went in anyway. I thought that with a red cow on the sign, there was a good chance there would be red meat. Boy was I right! It turns out The Red Cow (who’s real name I never learned) was a Korean barbecue.

The Red Cow quickly became my favorite place to eat and I quickly fell in love with the flavors of Korean barbecue. I didn’t have a name for what I was eating back then, but I now know it was bulgogi.

Bulgogi literally translates to “fire meat.” It is a thin-sliced marinated meat—typically beef or pork—that is grilled to yummy perfection. The marinade is flavorful and packs a little “fire” of its own thanks to gochujang, a red chili paste.

With grilling season over here in Oregon, I wondered if I could do an indoor spin on the classic dish. I decided to try to create a bulgogi dish with ground beef instead of steak. I couldn’t marinate the ground beef, so I had to rethink the preparation and create a flavorful sauce.

I began by creating a bulgogi sauce that has a similar flavor profile to the marinade. I used classic ingredients such as soy sauce, rice vinegar and gochujang. Apple and brown sugar were added for balance.

I crumbled and browned the beef in a skillet. Then added the sauce to finish it off. Garnished with toasted sesame and scallion greens, I was transported back to Japan with every bite.

If you have never had Korean barbecue, this is a great dish to introduce you to the flavors. The dish is easy to make and it is on the table in about 30 minutes (great for weekdays!). I like it served over steamed rice, but it would also be a great as tacos!

Korean Bulgogi Beef and Rice

Recipe by Kacey Baxter, Oven and SpiceCourse: DinnerCuisine: KoreanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Bulgogi, which translates literally to “fire meat” is typically thin-sliced marinated beef or pork that has been grilled or stir-fried. In this recipe, I combine familiar bulgogi flavors with the ease of ground beef to make a quick Korea-inspired dish that is big on taste and perfect for any night of the week.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Jasmine rice, dry

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

• 2 tbs light brown sugar

• 1 1/2 tbs sesame oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbs ginger paste

• 1 tbs gochujang (Korean red chili paste)

• 1 pound ground beef

• 2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced and separated whites from greens

• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions

• Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add rice and return to a boil. Stir once, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes or until almost all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand until ready to serve.
• While rice cooks, add apple, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger paste and gochujang to a medium bowl. Stir until well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to come together.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add sesame seeds to the pan. Toast until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Return skillet to medium heat and add ground beef. Crumble while cooking. Cook until meat is browned and cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add in scallion whites and cook 1 minute longer.
• Pour sauce into the meat and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook 3-5 minutes, or until sauce is heated through and has started to reduce.
• To serve, place rice on a plate and cover with meat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallion greens. Enjoy!

Notes

• Gochujang packs a punch. I found that there was a nice balance of heat and flavor with one tablespoon in the sauce. However, if you prefer a milder heat, go down to 1/2 a tablespoon and if you like your food hot, hot, hot, feel free to add more.

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