What Kind Of Meat Is In Bulgogi And What Makes It Unique?

Bulgogi, also known as "fire meat", is a staple of Korean cuisine. Along with kimchi, it's one of the better-known Korean dishes in the United States, with many Korean restaurants even offering diners the chance to grill this meat themselves at the table. While there are many variations of the dish, bulgogi is typically composed of thinly sliced grilled meat marinated in a rich combination of sauces. It often comes served with a bowl of rice or a lettuce wrap, and yes, you can top it with kimchi as well.

Bulgogi is extremely tender and flavorful. The most common meat used for Bulgogi is flank steak, but ribeye or sirloin are also commonly used. Marinate the beef in soy sauce, ginger, and other spices, grill it, then plate it. (The actual marinade for this dish differs per chef, but soy sauce, sugar, pear, and sesame oil are some commonly used ingredients.)Top your bulgogi with green onion and sesame seeds, and this dish is ready to go. 

This Korean barbecued beef has been rising in popularity in the States for some time, but it has been a staple in Korea for a while. Let's dig into its origins.

While bulgogi began soaring in popularity in the early 20th century, the dish's origins go back thousands of years to the Goguryeo era. It was somewhere between 37 B.C. and A.D. 668 that skewered meats became popular. Those meals quickly evolved into other marinated beef dishes made with broth. This dish evolved into neobiani, a thinly sliced meat enjoyed by the wealthy classes. 

As beef became widely available, more people began enjoying these flavorful cuts of meat, and it eventually became what we now know as bulgogi. Into the late 20th century, bulgogi became one of the most popular of all Korean dishes. Some iterations of the dish feature a brothy soup, while others are grilled and served with rice, but the main idea of the dish remains the same.

Bulgogi became even more popular as beef became more prevalent in Korean cuisine. Its popularity spread, and Koreans immigrating to the United States brought the dish with them. Now, bulgogi is featured on many menus across the country. If you've yet to try it, take a trip to a nearby Korean restaurant, or you could try to make it yourself.

On the surface, bulgogi seems like a simple dish. However, as James Beard Award-winning chef Peter Serpico shared with Smithsonian Magazine, a big mistake many people make with this dish is not cutting the meat thin enough. As Serpico says, "[I]t takes a lot more skill and practice than a lot of people think it does." For this reason, he suggests that people get their meat cut by a professional at a Korean store like H Mart or ask a butcher for help. 

If the thought of grilling bulgogi yourself is intimidating, bulgogi is available at many Korean restaurants. Many suggest pairing the dish with cold beer or red wine to bring out the best flavors. The choice is up to you. If you find that you love the taste of bulgogi, you might want to try another popular Korean dish like bibimbap next.