In Wonju, South Korea, peaches make their way from Chiaksan Mountain to marinades for boksunga bulgogi (복숭아불고기): peach-marinated beef BBQ. The fruit forms a sweet, perky base for the thinly sliced sirloin, in the same way pears and apples do in traditional recipes.
Fresh peaches can get pricey in the Philippines, so we're using canned peaches!
After marinating, you want to fry your bulgogi fast and hot until crispy edges form. A grill pan is ideal, but a stainless steel skillet works fine, too. Serve your bulgogi over hot rice on weekdays; make it a party with lettuce leaves, ssamjang, and soju for the weekend.
Ingredients
Peach-Marinated Bulgogi
- 1 cup canned peaches, drained
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 cup sliced white onions, sliced into half moons
- ¾ cup sliced green onions, cut into 2-inch batons
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp grated or finely chopped ginger
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 500g sirloin or flank steak, ¼-inch thick, sliced into 1 ½–2-inch strips
- neutral oil
For Serving
- sliced green onions, for garnish
- toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- steamed white rice
- lettuce leaves
- ssamjang (Korean BBQ dipping sauce)
Purée peaches: Add peaches to a blender or the bowl of a food process. Blend peaches until you get a chunky purée. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Make peach marinade: Add garlic, onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, black pepper, toasted sesame seeds to the bowl with the peach purée. Mix until well combined. Add beef to the marinade. Using clean hands, turn beef until fully coated with marinade. Cover bowl with cling wrap, pushing the wrap’s surface down to meet the beef mixture inside. This will act as your airtight container. Set aside to marinate at room temperature, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Cook bulgogi: Heat up a grill pan or large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to lightly coat the bottom. Working in batches, add half of the beef to the pan, leaving any excess marinade behind. (Take any onions with you, too.) Cook undisturbed until beef is lightly browned at the bottom, about 1 minute. Using tongs, toss beef and continue to cook until edges are slightly crisp and meat is cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining beef.
Serve: Garnish beef with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with hot rice, lettuce, and ssamjang.
