Pork Bulgogi with Spring Vegetables

 

Where did the Korean concept of bulgogi come from?

Imagine, if you will, ancient Korea. We're talking way, way back, before K-Pop and even before Gangnam Style. Picture a time when people weren't scrolling through TikTok, but probably, like, trying to figure out how to keep their food from running away.

We can trace its delicious lineage back to the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 BC – 668 AD). Back then, they had something called "maekjeok". And what was maekjeok, you ask? Well, it was essentially skewered meat, grilled over an open flame. Think of it as the great-great-great-grandpappy of bulgogi, a bit rough around the edges, perhaps, but with good, honest intentions. These were likely nomadic warriors, who, after a long day of, you know, being nomadic warriors, probably just wanted some sizzling meat on a stick. No fancy marinades, probably just "Meat. Fire. Eat."

Fast forward a few hundred years, and we enter the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). This is where things get a bit more refined, a touch more sophisticated and definitely more saucy. During this period, the dish evolved into something called "neobiani", which literally means "thinly sliced." And that's where the magic really starts to happen.

Imagine a royal chef, perhaps tired of the King complaining about chewy, tough meat, deciding to thin-slice the pork. And then, perhaps, someone accidentally (or brilliantly) dropped it into a mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and who knows what else. "Oops! My bad! ...Wait a minute, this is actually amazing!" And thus, the tender, flavorful, marinated meat we know and love began to take shape. It was the VIP meal, the dish for royalty, so you know it had to be good. 

From these noble beginnings, bulgogi slowly but surely made its way from the royal palace to us common folk, adapting and evolving with local ingredients and preferences. It wasn't always called bulgogi, mind you. "Bulgogi" itself is a more modern term, literally meaning "fire meat" – which, let's be honest, is a pretty accurate and badass name for something so frigging delicious. 

This Melissa Clark recipe from The New York Times serves four.

INGREDIENTS




For the Marinade and Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup gochujang

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

2 tablespoons neutral oil (grapeseed, avocado or sunflower)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1, 2-inch piece of ginger, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced







For the Pork and Vegetables

1 pound boneless pork chops, sliced thin  

1 tablespoon of neutral oil (grapeseed, avocado or sunflower)

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced

8 ounces snow peas, stems removed and each cut in half 

6 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Cooked white rice for serving







DIRECTIONS

1. Make the marinade: Add marinade ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until combined. In a small bowl, reserve half the marinade at room temperature for serving.
2. Add pork to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. 
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add neutral oil. Once the oil is hot, add mushrooms. Let sear, stirring once or twice, until just tender and caramelized, 4 to 7 minutes.
4. Raise heat to high. Add pork along with its marinade, radishes, snow peas and all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions (reserve for garnish) to pan. Let cook, stirring often, until the pork is just cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Take care not to overcook it; it won’t brown, and it may still look slightly pink inside).
5. Garnish with reserved scallions and sesame seeds, and serve hot over rice with reserved marinade for drizzling.

Wine pairing: Zinfandel