Skirt Steak Bulgogi

Name: Skirt Steak Bulgogi
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: 2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 4-inch-long pieces; 1 medium Asian pear or Fuji apple (about 8 ounces), peeled, cored and chopped; 1 cup chopped yellow onion, plus 1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds; 10 large garlic cloves, peeled; 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper; 2 bunches scallions; Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, for grilling; Steamed white rice, for serving

By Eric Kim

Published July 28, 2021

Skirt Steak Bulgogi — Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus marinating
Rating: 4(811)
Comments: Read comments

Neobiani, a dish of broad, thin slices of beef tenderized with shallow slits from a knife, was a feature of royal court cuisine during the Joseon dynasty in Korea (1392 to 1910) and a predecessor to today’s beloved bulgogi of very thinly sliced marinated grilled meat. This variation borrows from neobani, but doesn’t require knife skills: Well-marbled skirt steak is pounded thin and marinated in a tenderizing sweet purée of Asian pear, onion, soy sauce and maple syrup. Bulgogi, which means “fire meat,” is best with the flame-licked char from a grill, but a hot skillet on the stovetop would work in a pinch.

Featured in: Bulgogi, Any Way You Slice It

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

2pounds skirt steak, cut into 4-inch-long pieces
1medium Asian pear or Fuji apple (about 8 ounces), peeled, cored and chopped
1cup chopped yellow onion, plus 1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
10large garlic cloves, peeled
1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
¼cup soy sauce
¼cup maple syrup
2tablespoons granulated sugar
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
2bunches scallions
Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, for grilling
Steamed white rice, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
On a large cutting board, pound the steak until it is ⅛-inch thick using a meat mallet or heavy skillet. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step 2
In a food processor or blender, blitz the pear, chopped onion, the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, maple syrup, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Pour the wet mixture over the steak, cover tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Step 3
When ready to cook, prepare a charcoal grill for direct high-heat cooking, or heat a gas grill to high. On a sheet pan, coat the sliced onions and the scallions with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Carefully grease the grill grate: Use tongs to grip a wadded paper towel dipped in oil and then rub the grates with the oiled towel. Wipe off any marinade clinging to the steaks and place the steaks on the hot, greased grate, along with the onion rounds and scallions. Grill the steak until charred and caramelized at the edges, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Grill the onions and scallions until charred but still crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. If using a gas grill, close the lid between flips. Discard any remaining marinade. (See Tip for stovetop method.)
Step 5
Arrange the steaks on a large platter, and top with the grilled onions and scallions. Serve family-style with steamed rice.

Tip

Alternatively, you can cook the steaks and onions on the stovetop in batches in a lightly oiled large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sear the steaks until charred and caramelized at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cook the onions and scallions next, until charred but still crunchy, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Discard any remaining marinade.

Ratings

4 out of 5

811 user ratings

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Comments

matt in da bronx3 years ago

It’s a bit unclear how to cut the steak. It says cut into 4-inch long pieces but that’s only one of three dimensions. How thick should it be? how wide should it be?

bethhughes3 years ago

To those with questions about how to cut the skirt steak into 4-inch pieces before pounding/marinating: cut crosswise (perpendicular to the length of the steak); the result should be roughly squares/oblongs. After cooking, to eat, one would slice it thinly across the grain.

Susan3 years ago

I’ve made this dish twice. The first time I marinated it for 24 hours, found the texture to be mushy. Second time I marinated it for only 2 hours. Much better results. All of the comments about the price of skirt steak are true.

EMHinMI2 months ago

Not sure why we beat the meat when it appeared to "re-plump" during the marinade process; similarly why peel the fruit when it's only going to be whizzed in the blender? I served this with rice but served it as wraps instead of in a bowl - fantastic!

NomNom1710 months ago

Adjustments: Had one very small Fuji apple and a D'anjou pear on hand so used both. Also only had one small bulb of garlic that yielded seven good size cloves so I threw in one very small shallot. Marinated for two hours, wiped off the excess but lightly salted the steak just before putting it on the grill. Three minutes each side on high heat. Result: DELIGHTFUL. A subtle sweetness shining through, a mellow oniony undertone, ridiculously tender meat. Goes into the regular rotation.

Tim H11 months ago

careful “inside” skirt steak is super tough but the tender “outside” skirt steak is almost impossible to find

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