Well, a long time ago (October 23 rd, 2006), I promised that I will make Bulgogi with natural sauce (the opposite to instant sauce) sometime, and I tried it about 3 weeks ago, which didn’t turn out so well. The reason was I poured out too much soy sauce, so it was literally painful to finish the meal, yet Michael didn’t seem to noticed as usual. 
I used 120 ml of soy sauce, which is quite a lot, so now you can imagine how it was.
When I nearly forgot the salty taste, I decided to try Bulgogi again, and it was OK yet something was missing. So while I am figuring out what is missing, I will give you a temporary recipe. Cross your fingers for me, please.
Ingredients for 2 people
- Thinly sliced beef 440g (sirloin)
- 1 small size onion
- 1 stalk of spring onion
- A dash of olive oil
For marinade sauce (mix these in a bowl, except sesame oil)
- Soy sauce – 3 tbsp
- Sugar – 1 tbsp
- Refined rice wine – 2 tbsp
- Plum Extract – 1tbsp (If you don’t have it, you can use pure pear juice instead.)
- Minced garlic – 1 tsp
- Pepper 3 sprinkles
- Sesame oil – 1 tsp
Prep
- Rinse the beef in cold water a couple of times to get rid of the blood. Separate the
meat and put it in a big bowl. (Bugogi beef is sold in thin sliced shapes at a butcher in Korea. So if you can’t find thin sliced beef where you live, you need to thin slice the beef first. When you do so, cut the beef when it is half frozen, slicing will be easier.) - Thin slice the onion and cut the spring onion.
- Put the vegetables with the meat, then add the marinade sauce.
- Add the sesame oil, and stir it. (If you add sesame oil with the other sauce, it can block the sauce getting into the meat or vegetables.)
- Leave the bowl for about 2 hours at room temperature.
Cooking
1. Pre heat the wok for 10 seconds on a high heat. Add some olive oil.
2. Put the meat and vegetable into the wok. Stir it until it cooks.
3. Serve it on the plate.
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I was stationed near the DMZ in Korea and fell in lovewith the culture and food. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find good recipes for yaki mandu and bulgogi. It seems most resturants and recipes I’ve seen or been to do an ok job. but I want the real way to make it also and kimchi recipes.
My Korean mother blends an apple into her beef bulgogi marinade. She always says that is the secret ingredient that makes it taste just right.
I’m always looking for recipes for my favorite korean dish, beef bulgogi…I shall try this one next. I used to use the bottled bulgogi sauces but it just doesn’t taste right. Thanks for the recipe….I am bookmarking this for future use.
Mirin is the Japanese equivalent. There are several Korean rice cooking wines – BUJA and DAESANG COOKING WINE MI-JUNG are a couple that I have used.
Gil,
I’m going to try that too.I’ve noticed Costco have a deal on Australian jjim ribs.They’re pork but I so much prefer beef.
In OZ pork is expensive and beef is cheapish.here,it’s the other way around.
Anyhoo,the “Korean rice cooking wine” that you mention,do you mean Mirin?
Also,I’d like to try it with a Japanese style pear-”nashi”-which is so much sweeter than the Korean pear.
Hi Gil,
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will try it sometime soon and write about how it turned out.
This is a marinade recipe used by my wife in our Korean Restaurant. Works well with bulgogi and kal bi.
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs cup sugar
2 Tbs cup brown sugar
1 small Asian pear*
3 to 4 garlic sections, peeled
1/2 medium white or yellow onion
1/2 oz ginger root, peeled
2 Tbs pure sesame oil
2 Tbs coarse ground black pepper
3 green or spring onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Korean rice cooking wine
(* may substitute kiwi or sweet apple)
Slice onion, pear, and ginger root into small sections and place with garlic into blender, add just enough water to blend into a smooth paste.
In a small cooking pot, combine water and sugars. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugars are mostly dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, cooking wine, blended paste, pepper, sesame oil, sugar mixture, and green onions. Stir well and refrigerate until use. Marinates 1 lbs of meat.
Hi Kat,
You’re right!
Thanks.
I should have added some ginger. Last time when I was making Bulgogi with instant sauce I added some ginger powder, but this time I didn’t add any. I think this will need fair bit of new additional ingredients.
Hi Pepy,
I didn’t know that Lee Kum Kee had a Korean BBQ sauce.
I was thinking yesterday adding some real pear might be good, instead of plum extract or pear juice. It should feel more genuine.
Thanks for sharing your tips.
Yummy…
I’m used to combine Korean BBQ sauce of Lee Kum Kee and blended pear.
Thank you for sharing this recipe
this looks delicious! I was looking at Wikipedia and it says that bulgogi is made with some ginger also, maybe you could add some to your marinade?