Bulgogi or Korean Barbecued Beef

The literal translation of Bulgogi in Korean is "bul"-"fire" and "gogi"-"meat", is traditionally made from beef or pork short ribs thinly sliced across the bone and grilled on skewers. However, beef sirloin is more readily available and less fatty. The meat is marinated in a lovely mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and other tasty ingredients such as ginger, scallions garlic and cayenne. After grilling, bulgogi can be wrapped in a lettuce leaf, served over rice or wrapped in thin pancakes. Kimchee is a popular side dish for Bulgogi.



Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin (frozen for about 10 minutes or so for easy slicing)
4 scallions (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon, or to taste, cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon molasses
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Long metal skewers
Romaine leaves
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Slice the beef diagonally across the grain into long strips about 1/4 inch thick.

Combine the scallions, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, sugar, black pepper, cayenne, molasses, lemon juice, soy sauce and sesame oil and a bowl and mix well. I doubled the marinade ingredients and reserved half for the sauce. Add the beef slices to the remaining half of the marinade,making sure all the beef is covered with the sauce. Place in a large plastic zippered bag and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat gas grill for 10 minutes on high. While waiting for the grill to get hot, remove beef from refrigerator. Oil or spray vegetable spray on the skewers, then thread a slice of beef lengthwise onto a skewer, keeping it flat. Repeat with remaining beef until all is skewered. Lay the skewers on an oiled grill over medium high heat. Grill, basting with the some of the reserved sauce and turning frequently to evenly cook the meat.

Transfer to a platter and remove the beef from the skewers. Cut into bite size pieces and place on lettuce-garnish with lemon slices and serve. Makes 10-12 skewers.

Recipe from "Asian Grilling" by Su-Mei-Yu