Are you craving the deliciousness of bulgogi but don’t feel like going out to a Korean restaurant? Don’t worry, making bulgogi at home is easier than you might think! Whether you choose to use prepackaged marinade or buy pre-marinaded bulgogi from Costco, you can enjoy this tasty dish in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Making Bulgogi with Prepackaged Marinade
If you opt for the prepackaged marinade, such as the ones offered by CJ Foods under their premium Korean food label Bibigo, all you need is some thinly sliced sirloin or other premium cuts of beef. Just throw them in a zipper bag along with the marinade and let it work its magic for a couple of hours. It’s that simple!
Costco’s Bargain Bulgogi
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, you’re in luck! Costco Warehouses in the region offer bulgogi in the meat section. It’s prepared with USDA Choice grade beef, and the current price is just $4.99 per pound. You’ll get about a 3-pound batch of marinated beef in foil containers. That’s a fantastic deal, even by Costco standards. But why is it so cheap? Keep reading to find out!
Cooking Bulgogi in Jeongol Style
To add an extra twist to your bulgogi, try cooking it in a jeongol (Korean hot pot) style. This traditional dish typically consists of meat, vegetables, and noodles in a flavorful broth. In this case, you’ll need marinated beef, dangmyeon (Korean starch noodles), mushrooms, and some water as the broth. Soak the dangmyeon in hot water for about 20-30 minutes before cooking the beef.
Start by heating up a large frying pan or skillet on high heat. Carefully arrange the marinaded beef in the pan. As the meat starts to cook, push it aside and add the noodles and mushrooms. Since I was cooking for two people, I only used half of the container (1.5 lbs) and added about 1/4 cup of water. Keep mixing and stirring to avoid any burns. Once the beef reaches your desired level of doneness, plate the dish and garnish it with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds (if available).
The Joy of Jeongol – Double the Bulgogi Flavor
One of the best parts of cooking bulgogi in the jeongol style is that the dangmyeon noodles soak up all the essence of the beef. This means you get to enjoy the rich and savory bulgogi taste twice in one dish. It’s a culinary treat you won’t want to miss!
A ‘Review’ of Costco’s Bulgogi
Now, let’s talk about the taste. Setting aside the use of some unnatural ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, the bulgogi dish from Costco actually tastes really good. Remember the low price? Well, it seems that Costco includes some leftover trimmings from other cuts of beef in their bulgogi, which means you might encounter some chewy connective tissue. However, it won’t ruin your dining experience.
Despite the addition of sugar and high fructose corn syrup, the beef isn’t overly sweet. The texture is fantastic, thanks to the use of Costco’s USDA Choice grade beef. If you don’t mind doing the actual cooking, you won’t be missing out on the authentic Korean restaurant taste when you have dinner at home.
Ssam – The Perfect Accompaniment to Bulgogi
When it comes to bulgogi, you can’t forget about the mandatory ssam, which is the Korean-style lettuce wrap. Recently, CJ Foods sent me a sample pack of their new premium line of Korean food called Bibigo. In the package, I found some gochujang (Korean chili paste) and ssamjang (Korean-style lettuce wrap paste). While the ssamjang was a bit too sweet and salty for my taste, the gochujang was excellent. It had the right texture, consistency, and heat level. It’s a medium-spicy condiment that’s smoother than Tabasco sauce. It’s perfect for this application, adding the perfect amount of flavor.
If you’re not familiar with ssam or ssambap, it’s simply a lettuce wrap featuring red or green leaf lettuce, rice, meat, and various condiments like sliced raw garlic, grilled onions, sliced chili peppers, gochujang, ssamjang, and doenjang.
Enjoy Your Bulgogi Feast!
There you have it! Now you know how to make mouthwatering bulgogi at home. So go ahead and treat yourself to a delicious meal that’s bursting with Korean flavors. Happy eating!
