Pear Bulgogi Beef with Charred Scallion Rice 🥩🇰🇷

Description

Sweet savory pear bulgogi beef seared fast for a glossy finish, served over charred scallion rice with a crisp cucumber sesame topping.
Hook ✨
Weeknight quick but restaurant sharp, caramelized edges, juicy beef, and that classic Korean balance in every bite.

Ingredients

• 🥩 600 g ribeye or sirloin, thin sliced (1.32 lb)
• 🧅 120 g onion, thin sliced (1 cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🧄 12 g garlic, grated (4 cloves / 0.4 oz)
• 🫚 8 g ginger, grated (1 tbsp / 0.28 oz)
• 🍐 150 g ripe pear, grated (1 cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🥣 60 ml soy sauce (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🍯 25 ml honey or brown sugar syrup (1 tbsp plus 2 tsp / 0.85 fl oz)
• 🍶 30 ml mirin or rice wine (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🌿 10 ml toasted sesame oil (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🌱 10 g sesame seeds (1 tbsp / 0.35 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (¼ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🫒 20 ml neutral oil, divided (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp / 0.7 fl oz)
• 🍚 300 g short grain rice (1½ cups / 10.6 oz)
• 💧 450 ml water for rice (1⅞ cups / 15 fl oz)
• 🧅 80 g scallions, cut into 5 cm pieces (⅔ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🧂 4 g fine sea salt, divided (⅔ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🥒 200 g cucumber, thin sliced (2 cups / 7 oz)
• 🍋 15 ml lemon juice (1 tbsp / ½ fl oz)
• 🍶 10 ml rice vinegar (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🌶️ 2 g gochugaru, optional (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Cook the rice
2. Rinse rice until the water runs mostly clear, then cook with 450 ml water in a pot or rice cooker, rest covered 10 minutes, then fluff. 🍚
3. 2️⃣ Make the bulgogi marinade
4. Whisk grated pear, soy sauce, honey, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, and black pepper until smooth and glossy. 🥣
5. 3️⃣ Marinate the beef fast
6. Add sliced beef and onion to the marinade, toss well, then chill 20 minutes, do not go longer than 60 minutes or it can turn too soft. 🥩
7. 4️⃣ Char the scallions
8. Heat a large skillet 28 cm (11 in) over medium high for 2 minutes, add 10 ml oil, add scallions and a pinch of salt, char 2–3 minutes until blistered, remove to a plate. 🔥
9. 5️⃣ Sear the bulgogi properly
10. Raise heat to high, add remaining 10 ml oil, lay beef in a single layer, sear 90 seconds without moving so it caramelizes. 🔥
11. 6️⃣ Finish the glaze
12. Flip and cook 60–90 seconds more, then pour in any remaining marinade and bubble 30–45 seconds until glossy and clinging. ✨
13. 7️⃣ Cucumber topping
14. Toss cucumber with lemon juice, rice vinegar, gochugaru if using, and 2 g salt, rest 5 minutes to lightly pickle. 🥒
15. 8️⃣ Plate like a pro
16. Spoon rice into bowls, top with bulgogi, add charred scallions, finish with cucumber and extra sesame seeds. 🍽️

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 20 min
🛋️ Rest: 35 min
⏰ Total: 75 min

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