Bulgogi-deopbap (Bulgogi Rice Bowl)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 12-inch skillet or cast-iron pan
• •Box grater
• •Mixing bowl
• •Rice bowls

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the marinade

   In a bowl, stir together the grated pear, grated onion, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, maesil-cheong if using, sesame oil, garlic, sesame seeds, and black pepper. Taste the marinade before the beef goes in. It should be salty, lightly sweet, and nutty, not candy-sweet. The rice will need seasoning, but the beef still has to taste like beef.

2. 2

   Marinate the beef

   Add the sliced beef, sliced onion, and the 2-inch scallion lengths to the marinade. Separate the beef with your fingers so the seasoning reaches every fold. Let it sit 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Thin beef does not need overnight. Past that, the soy tightens the meat and the pear softens it too much.

   If your butcher cannot slice the beef, freeze it for 30 to 40 minutes until firm at the edges, then slice across the grain as thinly as your knife allows. This is one corner you cannot skip.
3. 3

   Prepare the bowls

   Divide the hot rice among 4 wide bowls, about 3/4 cup per person. Keep the rice warm while you cook the beef. Deopbap works because hot rice receives the sauce; cold rice sits there like a closed door.

4. 4

   Sear the beef

   Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat and add the neutral oil. Lift half the beef, onion, and scallion from the marinade, letting excess liquid drip back into the bowl, and spread it in a thin layer. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning once or twice, until the beef loses its raw color and the onion softens at the edges. Move it to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef. Do not crowd the pan, or the meat boils gray before it has a chance to brown.

5. 5

   Make it saucy

   Return all the cooked beef and onions to the skillet. Add the remaining marinade and 1/2 cup water or unsalted beef broth. Simmer 2 minutes, scraping the pan, until the sauce tastes cooked and the onion is sweet. Stir the potato starch with 1 tablespoon cold water, then drizzle in only half at first. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds. Add the rest only if the sauce still runs like water. You want a glossy spooning sauce, not gravy.

6. 6

   Finish the bowls

   Spoon the bulgogi and onion over the hot rice, giving each bowl some sauce but not flooding it. Top with sliced scallion, a small pinch of toasted sesame seeds, and a fried egg if you want the bowl richer. Serve at once with kimchi or oi-muchim (seasoned cucumber) beside it, something sharp enough to keep the beef from feeling heavy.

Chef Tips

• •Go easy on the sugar. One tablespoon is enough because grated pear and onion bring sweetness without making the bowl taste flat. If your pear is very bland, add the optional maesil-cheong before you add more sugar.
• •Use a wide pan, not a small saucepan. Bulgogi-deopbap needs a little browning before it becomes saucy. If the beef piles up, cook it in batches and return it to the pan afterward.
• •The safe shortcut is buying pre-sliced bulgogi beef from a Korean market. The unsafe shortcut is using thick stew meat and hoping the marinade will forgive it. It will not.
• •For a clearer weeknight table, serve this with one crisp banchan: baechu-kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi), kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), or lightly seasoned cucumber. You do not need seven side dishes for a Tuesday bowl.

Advance Preparation

• •The marinade can be mixed 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Add the beef only 15 minutes to 4 hours before cooking.
• •The onion and scallions can be cut earlier in the day and kept covered in the refrigerator. Cook the beef just before serving, because thin bulgogi dries out when reheated.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons water, then spoon over fresh hot rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 430g)