Have you guys ever accidentally made something super delicious? Have you ever intentionally made one thing, and it turned out tasting like something else super delicious!? Well, that’s that I did with this new recipe.
I had some leftover steak…I KNOW… hold for dramatic pause, who actually has “leftover steak,” and what is it? Well, I did for the first time in my life. I was making a recipe that called for two pounds and I had three, so instead of wasting it I started to think of other new ways I could use it. At the time New Year’s Eve was approaching, so I thought, how about a fancy marinated steak Hors d’oeuvre?
So I did what I always do when I am creating new recipes, like a mad scientist, I went through all of my cabinets trying to find what I had on hand that I could use. Also, it was -15 degrees outside, so no way was I going to the grocery store for new ingredients. I knew I wanted to marinate the steak, so soy sauce, and an acid were all I really needed, but thank god I had [my favorite ingredient] garlic too. I dumped all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl, totally winging the measurements, and let my cubed steak sit for an hour…then I baked it until medium temp.
In my head, I was picturing cute little steak squares on a platter to eat with a toothpick. While that’s exactly what I got, the flavor took me out of this world! To Korea, in fact! I unintentionally created a sweet Bulgogi marinade and it was delicious!
I then waited an acceptable amount of time before going to the store for more steak so I could make the dish again AS Beef Bulgogi (6 days to be exact. My husband gets a little annoyed if I make the same thing more than once a week. 🙂 ) Even making it a second time all I needed to buy was the steak, since I still had all of the marinade ingredients on hand. They are ingredients I pretty much have all the time (BONUS)! Let’s be honest, I always have steak on hand too, but I just didn’t feel like thawing it.
Ok! Here we go! My Korean Beef Bulgogi.
The Process:
Place your steaks in the freezer for about 45 minutes, this will make it easier to cut thin. If your steak is already frozen, great! It just needs thawed enough for you to be able to cut it.
When your steak is slightly frozen, slice your steak against the grain in thin strips. Trim off any large fat pieces. Set aside.
In a bowl, large enough to hold all of your steak, combine the marinade ingredients. Whisk until incorporated.
Next, place your steak in the bowl. Using tongs, stir/toss to coat all of the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 10 hours. (Yep! You can mix this marinade up the morning of and have it sit in the fridge all day giving you a 15 MINUTE dinner when you get home.)
After the steak has marinated, get a large skillet VERY hot with oil. Pour all of the steak and marinade into the skillet, and cook until it reaches your desired doneness. Mine took about 12 minutes, to get a nice sear on the outside and the marinade had become a thick sweet sauce.
**Do not crowd your pan! It will just steam the meat instead of searing it. If you need to, cook your steak in two batches. After your second (or last) batch is cooked through, add the rest of the cooked steak back into the pan to warm it back up.
After the steak is seared, turn the heat to low. The marinade will continue to thicken as it simmers. The flavors are all there, so if you want a thinner sauce, it’s ready to go! I served my Bulgogi with rice, so I had to wait a couple minutes for that to finish cooking. The steak is perfectly cooked, and coated in a sweet sweet sauce.
Serve with a side of rice. Top with *toasted sesame seeds, and green onion. I can’t stress how important the green onion topping is. Asian dishes NEED green onion, it rounds out the flavor. I promise it isn’t just a garnish.
*If your sesame seeds are raw (pale in color), bake them at 350 for 7 minutes to toast.
Oh my goodness! Look at that delicious plate! Also, excuse my my nail polish. The polish on my index finger peeled off earlier that day! Whoops!
RECIPE!
Beef Bulgogi
Korean Style Marinated Beef
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Sirlion Steak Thinly sliced
Marinade
- 1/2 c Soy Sauce
- 1/2 c Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic 2-3 cloves
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger Minced
Toppings
- Green Onion
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
Instructions
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Lightly freeze your steak, so it is easier to slice. Thinly slice the steak, against the grain and set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together all Marinade ingredients. Add steak to the marinade. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
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Heat up a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, on high. When the skillet is hot, add your steak and marinade and sear until cooked through- 12 minutes if cooking in one batch. 5-6 minutes if cooking in multiple batches.
If needed, work in batches, you don't want to crowd the pan.
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Serve with rice, and top with toasted sesame seeds and green onion.
xoxo,
birdbelly
