Bulgogi - the Korean-Style Marinated Beef

Bulgogi is probably the most common Korean food. But, it is not so easy to make. Bulgogi was the first Korean food I tried to cook. I followed the standard recipe but failed miserably. It was shockingly salty and sweet.

For the last several years, 80% of my bulgogi failed. One day, I made some mistakes while I was making it. However, it turned out very delicious. It was perfectly seasoned. The recipe, which was consummated by my mistakes, is as follows.

Ingredients:
Beef                         2.5kg

To marinate:
onion                        1 (350g)                       
pear*                        1 (500g)
green onion              2 (white parts only)      
garlic                        20 cloves
soy sauce                  150ml                         
cooking wine               50ml
green plum syrup**     50ml                         
brown sugar                2 tablespoon
sesame oil                   2 tablespoon            
pepper

To pan-fry***:
apple              
mushroom
onion              
green onion
carrot              

* in case you don't have a pear, replace it with onions (500g).
** if there is no green plum syrup, use sugar (30ml) and lemon juice (20ml) 
***any vegetables except for "buchu", a Korean chive, will do for bulgogi. Buchu and beef can give an indigestion if eaten together.

1. Put all ingredients except for beef in a blender. Then, blend it. That is it.

2. Pour sauce at the bottom of a container. Place a thin strip of beef. Repeat this until all beef is marinated.


3. Keep the above in a refrigerator.

Usually, I have a pear in the sauce. But, I didn't have one this time. How I cope with that is as follows.

4. Cut a 1/4 apple into thin strips.

5. Pan-fry marinated beef with apple strips and vegetables.

In fact, apple strips at the time of pan-frying add enormous fruitiness and great texture, more than replacing a pear.

What was the original recipe and what were my mistakes?

The original recipe called for only 3 tablespoons of onion and pear juice respectively to marinate 1.5kg of beef.

I put a whole pear and an onion in a blender to make juice. But, the blender didn't work due to the lack of liquid. Instead of water, I poured soy sauce and other liquid ingredients, which are the same measurement in my recipe above.

I came to realize that I had too much of pear and onion juice and thought that I failed again, which was no big deal. My sauce was way too much underseasoned. But, I could add more soy sauce, sugar and etc.

But, my mistake-altered sauce was just right for me in terms of saltiness and sweetness. It was just right to marinate up to 3kg of beef. Also, it is so simple. Instead of cutting vegetables and layering them with meat, I just put everything in a blender and then just pour over meat.