Korean BBQ is not a single dish.
Why you should cook this
Korean BBQ is not a single dish. It is a way of eating. A grill on the table, a dozen small dishes (banchan) of pickles and ferments, lettuce leaves to wrap, dipping sauces, rice. Cook a piece of meat. Wrap it with banchan. Eat. Repeat.
This guide gives you the bulgogi marinade, the basic banchan, and the dipping sauce. Marinate the night before. The actual eating part is fast.
What to drink with it
Soju, cold OB beer, or a Honey Tequila Sour, our recipe. Steamed jasmine rice on the side, lots of lettuce.
Notes from the kitchen
Marinate overnight. Korean marinades work on time. Two hours is not enough. Buy thin-sliced rib eye from a Korean grocer. Already cut for bulgogi. Saves you a knife job. Lettuce + ssamjang + a bit of rice + the meat = the perfect bite. That’s the formula. Ssamjang (the dipping sauce below) is non-negotiable.
The recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the beef. Massage to coat. Cover. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Make ssamjang: combine doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, honey and garlic. Stir until smooth.
- Set up a grill plate, electric griddle, or hot heavy pan in the centre of the table.
- Cook the marinated beef in batches over high heat — 90 seconds per side. Don't crowd.
- Eat: take a lettuce leaf, add a spoonful of rice, a piece of beef, a smear of ssamjang, a pinch of kimchi or pickled radish. Wrap and eat in one bite.
- Repeat with the next batch. Keep banchan, rice and lettuce topped up.
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Tough beef
Not enough marinating time. Two hours is not enough. Overnight or twenty-four hours is right.
Lettuce too small to wrap
Use iceberg or red leaf, not cos. The cup-shape catches the meat and rice properly.
Variations worth knowing
Galbi (short ribs)
Use thinly sliced flanken-cut beef short ribs. Same marinade. Slightly chewier, more flavoursome.
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Read the recipe →Spicy bulgogi
Add 2 tablespoons of gochujang to the marinade. Spicier, a richer caramelisation on the grill.
Leftovers and make ahead
Marinated raw meat keeps two days. Cooked bulgogi reheats well in a pan or microwave; serve over rice with banchan.