Recipe from Hooni Kim
Adapted by Sam Sifton
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration
- Rating
- 5(640)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Here is a sandwich version of the Korean barbecue standard known as bulgogi — “fire meat,” is the literal translation — and a taste of the sort of home cooking that can lead to more home cooking. It serves as a fragrant hamburger crusher, an elegant vanquisher of pizza. It is an enemy of takeout. I learned the recipe from Hooni Kim, the chef and owner of Danji, on the edge of the theater district in Manhattan, where bulgogi “sliders” are a hallmark of the menu and by far the restaurant’s most popular dish. It’s been adapted for use in the home. —Sam Sifton
Featured in: The Bulgogi Slider Is a Delicious Curveball
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 1cup soy sauce
- 2tablespoons sugar
- 1tablespoon peeled and grated garlic
- 1tablespoon sesame oil
- 3tablespoons sake
- 2tablespoons mirin
- 1Asian pear, peeled, cored and puréed in a food processor
- 1small carrot peeled and sliced into julienne
- 1medium white onion peeled and sliced into julienne
- 1cup apple juice
- 2pounds beef brisket, chilled slightly and sliced thin
- 1cup mayonnaise
- 1tablespoon soy sauce
- 3tablespoons hot chili sauce, ideally Sriracha
- ½cup soy sauce
- 2tablespoons water
- ¼cup sugar
- 2tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes)
- 2tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 2tablespoons sesame oil
- 3tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2tablespoons mirin
- 1tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2bunches scallions, cleaned, dried and sliced on the bias
- Unsalted butter
- 6soft hamburger buns
For the Bulgogi
For the Spicy Mayonnaise
For the Scallion Salsa
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
1137 calories; 83 grams fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 28 grams monounsaturated fat; 27 grams polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 25 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 4381 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, sake, mirin, pear, carrot, onion and apple juice. Add the sliced brisket, stir to combine, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least six hours.
Step
2
Meanwhile, in a small, nonreactive bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and hot chili sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors, then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Step
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When you are ready to make the sandwiches, set one very large sauté pan (or two large ones) over high heat. Using tongs, lift meat from marinade in batches, allow to drain well, then cook, turning occasionally until the excess liquid has evaporated and the edges of the beef have started to crisp.
Step
4
Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the salsa except for the scallions, then stir to combine.
Step
5
Toast and butter the hamburger buns. Spread spicy mayonnaise on the buns, and using tongs, cover one side of each set of buns with bulgogi. Add a large pinch of scallions on top of each burger and drizzle with the dressing.
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640
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Cooking Notes
Chilewheel
With good food, as with so many worthwhile objectives in life, the same maxim applies: if you're not willing to do what it takes, then no one can help you, and you can't complain when nothing happens. I live in a small town, away from a major city, and every ingredient in this recipe is available at both of our local markets. Of course, I've been known to drive 50 miles for a good sandwich..
Jacki
Delicious! I would suggest maybe letting the meat drain in a colander as there was no way the meat was ever going to crisp in all that liquid. The cucumbers are a must here- the tartness balances the overall sweetness of the marinade and sauce.
For those who harp on the calorie count: look at the ingredients, figure out how to make it work for you, tell us the tweaks. All the mayo will not get used. Skip some oil. It is so tiresome to constantly read comments about calorie heavy recipes.
Sue
I would recommend using a quarter cup of sprite or 7up in the marinade to tenderize the meat. That's a Korean secret that my grandmother and mom always used - also be sure to let the meat marinade for as long as possible - at least 6 hours if not overnight.
Billie
I cooked the brisket, with all the Bulgogi ingredients listed, in my slow cooker for 4 hours on high and it was amazing. Also, I highly recommend making the Light Brioche Buns, by Jane Sigal if you have the time!
Anna
"And where (outside NYC) would one get said brisket? Such things are not casually obtained at a grocery chain store in the midwest."
Yosa, you have got to be kidding. You can find beef brisket at ANY grocery store chain's buther counter and/or meat department in any state in the midwest. Not difficult at all.
Joyce
If you have access to a Korean grocery store, such as HMart (ours is an hour away), you can also buy the bulgogi meat (they use ribeye) already prepared. Then it is already tenderized, sliced razor thin, and marinated, and it costs about $5 a pound. I just added the carrot and onion to it.
Chicago Felix
For my vegetarian household, I substituted seitan for the brisket, and used a bit of sesame oil for browning it. Everything else as specified in the recipe... The results were fabulous, and got even better after the leftovers sat in the fridge for a few days, seeping in the pleasantly warm flavors. Our new favorite!
Linda
Is the brisket pre-cooked?
Delise
I used flank steak b/c the Wegman's I went to had gigantic briskets & I was only cooking for my husband & me. I half-froze it, sliced it very thinly against the grain, then marinated it according to recipe. Used fat-free plain Greek yogurt w/ a dollop of mayo, the soy sauce & Sriracha. Added a packaged salad mix of shredded red cabbage, green cabbage, brussels sprouts, etc. to the scallion salsa, creating a 'slaw' effect. Fast and easy recipe that was very good.
D J
Put the whole piece of brisket in the freezer for an hour or so, making it quite firm. It will make slicing it thin much easier.
Lilly
Brisket is a cut of beef. It is raw. The recipe states to chill it, and then slice it when cold. In step 3 you cook the meat. I don't think it's unclear from the recipe.
Na Hyung
I have to disagree with Sue -- In Korean cooking, "sesame oil" always means toasted. We don't use regular (untoasted) sesame oil. If not clearly labeled, the most obvious way to tell them apart is by color: Toasted sesame oil is dark brown, and regular sesame oil is vegetable-oil colored.
Tim Murtaugh
Some people find exploring new markets and ingredients fun!
Mark
Made it with brisket after all. No problem slicing thin enough when slightly frozen. But brisket isn't a great choice for this - too tough and dry when seared over high heat. Love the flavors of the marinade, salsa and mayo, and will certainly do this again using boneless sirloin or rib steak (which isn't much different in price anyway). I used Aleppo pepper flakes instead of gochugaru; OK substitute but maybe not quite enough heat.
126tomatoes
The Asian pear is the tenderizer. Could also use a kiwi.
Kitfo
Why brisket though? 24 hrs marinated and still tough. Also: way too salty. Otherwise the flavors were excellent, made with the cucumber kimchi as suggested. Didn’t butter the buns, they get spicy Mayo on them anyway.
Brenda
The flavors in this recipe are amazing. However, beef brisket is a poor choice for meat. I froze slightly, sliced thin and marinated for 24 hours. It was still tough. I’ll make it again but definitely not with brisket.
Jimmy
DO NOT USE BRISKET. IF YOU COOK THIS, USE A MORE TENDER CUT OF MEAT. Total dud for my family. Nobody wanted to eat the final product because the brisket was too tough, so the dogs were the only winners. I was actually worried about this. Normally, brisket is slow-cooked for hours to break down the meat. Flash cooking just does not break down the meat enough.
Gary
Very tasty, but the brisket that I used was extremely tough, even when thinly cut and marinated according to the recipe. Next time I will use a more tender cut of beef.
Katie
These were amazing…sooo good. Went to the Korean grocery store where they had thin cut beef slices (sirloin) which made everything easy! Given how thin they were they cooked in a flash so since everything was made in advance, dinner was quick on the table. Don’t skip the cucumbers - the acidity was great for the meat.
Ellie Mae
What cucumbers? Reason I ask is I am wondering if you buy prepared beef, what else if anything needs to be added that would otherwise have come from the marinade? Would appreciate advice from anyone.
AfleetAlex
My take on sesame oil, is you use untoasted if your heat is on for long periods (which will toast it), and toasted if you’re drizzling over a finished product. Cooking toasted sesame oil, especially in a wok, gives it a burnt taste (IMO). Any other opinions?
Cat
Unfortunately I didn't understand how necessary it was to chill the meat in the freezer before cutting it. I don't think Brisket is the right cut of meat for this recipe. Flavor is excellent.
BurtDaddy
Excellent. Had small dinner party and everyone raved. I overdid by putting Mayo both sides of the buns and would keep to one going forward but this is on my rotation for sure!
michelle
Loved this. Wegmans didn’t have brisket or Asian pears when I did my shop. Bought sirloin instead and it came out well (froze it briefly to slice thin). I used a Bartlet pear, and it chopped rather thanpureed in the food processor. The meat was tender so I guess it worked ok? I also put the meat mixture over a colander to drain, and it seemed to help crisp the edges. As others have said, the meat gives up more liquid in cooking. When I make again, I’ll halve both sauces—a lot went to waste.
Lori Goodsell
Out of cheapness and laziness regular crushed red peppers like you put on a frozen pizza for the korean ones. Still delicious, saved a trip. I cooked mine in the crockpot on low for 7 hours. Even my very picky friend who hates onions was happy to pick around them and loved the flavor. I'm excited for my lunch leftovers!
MiniN
I substituted the mayo sauce for chopped jalapeños and avocado.
Amber
Getting the meat thin enough is really important. I did not, and the meat came out in every bite of the sandwich. I might try this as a burger instead by mixing a smaller amount of marinade with ground beef.
Terry
I made a napa cabbage slaw using the "salsa" ingredients. Balanced the meatiness and fattiness of everything so well.
Leobot
I used flank steak, omitted the added sugar in the marinade, and replaced the mirin with Chinese rice wine. Marinated overnight. It was still plenty sweet, but not cloying. The meat was tender and tasted wonderful. Even drained in a colander, the beef still released a lot of liquid and didn't really crisp in the skillet, but honestly that was nice on toasted potato rolls.
Lydia Sugarman
Saw that Billie did a slow cooker version, so I'm just wondering if it wouldn't also work to cook it in a traditional Dutch oven, stove-top and/or oven. Anyone have any experience with that?
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