Eonyang-sik Bulgogi (Ulsan Gridiron Bulgogi)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy chef's knife or Korean kitchen knife
• •Wire gridiron (seoksoe), fine grill rack, or cast-iron grill pan
• •Two wide spatulas or tongs plus a spatula
• •Rimmed tray for shaping

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill and cut

   Put the beef in the freezer for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm but not frozen solid. Slice it across the grain into thin strips, then chop with a heavy knife into rough 5mm pieces. Do not grind it. Eonyang-sik bulgogi needs a chopped texture so the meat holds together on the gridiron while still eating like beef, not sausage.

   Warm beef smears under the knife. Cold beef cuts clean, and clean cutting is the difference between a tender pressed cake and a dense one.
2. 2

   Season lightly

   In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, sugar, scallion, crushed sesame seeds, pepper, and salt if needed. Add the chopped beef and fold by hand for 1 minute, just until the seasoning is even and the meat begins to cling. Stop there. This style is not the wet, sweet Seoul bulgogi people usually know. The seasoning should sit close to the beef, not cover it.

3. 3

   Shape the sheets

   Divide the beef into 4 portions. On a lightly oiled plate or tray, press each portion into a thin oval or rectangle about 12cm wide and 8mm thick. Keep the edges even so they cook at the same speed. If the kitchen is warm, chill the shaped beef for 10 minutes before grilling so it lifts cleanly.

4. 4

   Heat the grill

   Heat a charcoal grill, wire gridiron, or heavy ridged grill pan over high heat. Brush the grid lightly with neutral oil. The heat must be strong before the beef lands, because this thin pressed meat needs browning fast; low heat makes it leak juice and break apart.

5. 5

   Grill and turn

   Lay one beef sheet on the hot gridiron. Grill 2 minutes on the first side, until the underside browns and releases, then turn carefully with two wide spatulas or tongs and a spatula. Grill 1 to 2 minutes more. The surface should be browned in patches, the edges a little crisp, and the center still juicy. Repeat with the remaining portions.

   If cooking indoors, use a cast-iron grill pan and work one sheet at a time. Open a window and wipe excess fat between batches so the next portion browns instead of scorching.
6. 6

   Serve at once

   Move the bulgogi to a warm platter and scatter with a little extra crushed sesame if you like. Serve immediately with rice, lettuce, perilla leaves, sliced garlic, and ssamjang. Let people wrap it, but taste the first piece plain. That is how you know whether you respected the beef.

Chef Tips

• •Buy well-marbled beef and keep it very cold. Ribeye is generous, sirloin is cleaner, and chuck flap gives good beef flavor if your butcher has it. Lean meat will turn dry before the surface browns.
• •Do not marinate this overnight. Thirty minutes is enough for chopped beef. Longer salting tightens the meat and makes the clean beef flavor dull.
• •If your grill grate has wide gaps, place a fine wire rack over it or cook on a perforated grill pan. Eonyang-sik bulgogi is pressed thin, and the gridiron must support it.
• •Serve sharp, simple banchan beside it: pa muchim (seasoned scallion salad), dongchimi (radish water kimchi), or cucumber muchim. Sweet side dishes crowd the beef.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef can be hand-chopped and seasoned up to 30 minutes ahead, then kept cold. Do not hold it much longer, because the soy sauce continues to cure the small pieces.
• •The ssam vegetables can be washed, dried, and wrapped in a towel in the refrigerator up to 6 hours ahead. Dry leaves wrap better than wet ones.
• •Shape the beef portions up to 1 hour ahead and refrigerate them covered on a lightly oiled tray. Grill only when the table is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)