Dish · korean
Bulgogi
Thin-sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and grated pear, then grilled or pan-seared quickly over high heat. The pear tenderizes the meat and adds a mild sweetness rather than showing up as fruit flavor.
Where it comes from
Marinated, grilled beef has a long history in Korea, with earlier versions like maekjeok tied to Goguryeo-era cooking, though the specific soy-and-sugar marinade familiar today took shape more recently as beef grew available to ordinary households.
What cooks argue about
Cooks argue over marinating time: pear's enzymes tenderize the meat but can turn it mushy if left too long, so the real fight is over how many hours is enough versus too much.
Versions
Nobody has published a bulgogi here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
garlic
sesame oil toasted
pear