Beef Bulgogi

Unlike many other Korean dishes, this recipe doesn’t require specialty ingredients, making it the perfect gateway to the delicious world of Korean food. Typically, this would be eaten in lettuce wraps or served with rice, kimchi, and banchan, a.k.a. side dishes, so your plate has a ton of colors, textures, and flavors. My whole family loved this (not a given!), and the leftovers reheated perfectly.

Serves 8

• 2 lb (910 g) thinly sliced beef filet steak or ribeye (or even kolichel if your butcher slices it thinly)
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup oil, divided
• scallions, for garnish
• sesame seeds, for garnish

Marinade

• 1 small Asian pear or 1 large sweet apple, peeled and cored
• 1 small onion
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp grated ginger

Blend all marinade ingredients in a food processor or with a hand blender.

Pour the marinade over the beef and onion and mix well. Allow to sit for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan. Add 1 Tbsp oil at a time and sear the beef and onion in batches, for 5 minutes each, until nicely browned.