Bulgogi means “fire meat” in Korean and is the name of a beef dish in which paper-thin sliced meat is soaked in a flavorful combo of soy sauce, black pepper, ginger, rice wine, and pureed fruit. In this version, readily available pureed kiwifruit stands in for traditional Asian pear to help tenderize the lean grass-fed beef. To make the beef easier to slice super-thin, pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes. If you don’t feel like firing up the grill, you can stir-fry the beef. Serve in lettuce cups with short-grain brown rice. We also love it on warm tortillas with a dollop of Fiery-Sweet Peach Salsa.
1 pound top sirloin, trimmed
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce OR gluten-free soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon mirin (hon-mirin, which is gluten-free)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon grated peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
1 kiwifruit, peeled and pureed
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion, plus additional sliced onion for garnish
Freeze beef 30 minutes or until firm. but not frozen.
While beef is in freezer, whisk together soy sauce, oil, sugar, mirin, pepper, ginger, garlic, and kiwifruit in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup green onion.
Remove beef from freezer. With a very sharp knife, cut beef across the grain into 1/16th-inch slices. Add beef to soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Preheat grill. Remove beef from marinade and discard marinade. Place beef in a grill basket or thread it on skewers. Grill 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
Serve bulgogi garnished with additional thinly sliced green onion.
Serves 4
