Ttukbaegi Bulgogi. This month, I am excited to have my own mother join us in Seoul. She’s out here for a month to relax, take health check-ups and to spend quality time with my grandmother and I. In between chit-chats, I was able to nudge her to get back on camera and share some of her favorite recipes with the Neighborhood. Tonight, we start with Ttukbaegi Bulgogi!
Before my dad turned pescatarian, this was his favorite meat dish. But my mom remains an omnivore and tells me that she misses this meat dish from time-to-time. So it was a great opportunity to share this dish in Seoul. Ttukbaegi Bulgogi is thinly sliced beef thats cooked in a claypot, alongside a few scoops of bulgogi broth. What I love about this dish is how fast you can fix up a meal. Simply add beef slices with the broth into a pot and throw-in a small handful of mushroom. That’s it! All you need is a bowl of fresh rice for a filling, homecooked meal. Perfect for solo nights or family meals!
And no, you don’t need to necessarily cook this in a Ttukbaegi pot – use a small-sized pot. However, the Ttukbaegi pot is very nice because the clay retains its heat well and keeps the food hot throughout the entire meal!
Cooking notes:
- When the meat is coming to boil, use a pair of tongs and scissors to cut the meat into small bite-sized pieces. Otherwise it may be too big!
- You can store the leftover, uncooked bulgogi in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This recipe creates about a 4-person serving
- Make sure to eat with a bowl of hot rice!
I hope you enjoy this dish – it’s one of my mom’s favorite recipes!
P.s. This whole month, I’ll be a bit busier than usual – as I’m playing the role of tour guide for my mom. We’re on our way to Sinsa Station now. I think she wants to check out all the new skincare brands – heh!
If you guys have any particular recipe requests for my mom, let me know via IG.
Dan-yul out! 🕺
Ttukbaegi Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1 kg Thin Sliced Beef (Use chuck, ribeye, sirloin)
Bulgogi Marinade
- 4.5 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 1 cup Mirim
- 1 Tablespoon Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 7 cloves of Garlic
- 3 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seed
- 5-6 shakes Black Pepper
Raw Ingredients
- 1 whole Onion
- 1/2 whole Carrot
- A small bundle of Enoki Mushrooms
- A small handful of Dangmyeon Noodles
Instructions
Prep meat
- Place a few paper towels on your cutting board. Then gently spread the meat slices (1kg) on top. Use a few extra paper towels to pat down the meat pieces - and soak up any residual blood or moisture
Make Bulgogi Marinade
- Take out a large plastic container and make marinade. Start by adding: Water (4.5 cups), Soy Sauce (1/2 cup), Fish Sauce (4 Tablespoons), Mirim (1 Cup), Vinegar (1 Tablespoon), Sugar (2 Tablespoons) and Honey (2 Tablespoons). Give it a nice stir-around.
- Now, carefully add-in the thinly sliced meat pieces into the marinade. Use your chopsticks to separate the pieces and make sure they don't clump up.
- Then on the fresh ingredients: Slice an onion (1 whole) into thin slices. Add it to the marinade. Then julienne a carrot (1/2 a whole) into thin slices and add it to the marinade. Then mince 7 cloves of garlic and add it to the marinade.
- Finish the marinade with Sesame Oil (3 Tablespoons), Sesame Seeds (2 Tablespoons) and Black Pepper (5-6 shakes) to the marinade.
- Now the important part. Close the lid and place the plastic container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 5-6 hours. (If you have time, it's even better that you let it marinate overnight).
- Optional: Take out a handful of Dangmyeon noodles and place into a bowl of cold water. Let it soak for at least 1 hour.
Prep Fresh Ingredients
- After letting it marinate for 5-6 hours (or overnight), let's do a few final steps.
- Chop Spring Onion stalk into small pieces. Then chop the stems off the Enoki Mushroom and give it a nice wash.
- If you're going to add Dangmyeon noodles, drain the noodles from the water and set it aside.
Make Ttukbaegi Bulgogi
- Take out a Ttukbaegi bowl or use a small pot. Then add a few ladles of the beef pieces. Make sure to add a few scoops of the marinade - enough to barely submerge the meat pieces. Place the bowl on a medium-high heat and bring it up to boil.
- As it comes to boil, use a pair of kitchen scissors to chop the beef into smaller bite-size pieces (don't forget!). Then give the bite-size pieces a stir so that no pieces stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the pot is boiling, add the soaked Dangmyeon noodles on top. Then a handful of the enoki mushrooms and a handful of the spring onion pieces. Let it all boil together for 1 more minute.
- Turn off the heat and serve alongside a bowl of rice. Bon Appetit!
