Korean Beef (Print Version)
Thinly sliced beef in a savory-sweet soy and sesame glaze, quick to make and served over steamed rice.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 lb beef sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
→ Marinade & Sauce
02 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
03 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
04 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
07 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
08 - 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Vegetables & Garnishes
10 - 4 green onions, thinly sliced
11 - 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
→ Serving
12 - Steamed white rice, for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, gochugaru (if using), and black pepper until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well combined.
02 - Add the thinly sliced beef to the marinade and toss thoroughly to coat every piece. Allow the beef to marinate for at least 10 minutes at room temperature, or up to 1 hour in the refrigerator for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the marinated beef in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned on the edges and cooked through.
04 - Remove the skillet from heat and stir in half of the sliced green onions and 1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame seeds, reserving the remainder for garnish.
05 - Spoon the hot beef and sauce over bowls of steamed white rice. Garnish each serving with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
# Handy Tips:
01 -
- The sauce caramelizes into a glossy coating that tastes like you spent hours reducing it, even though the whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes.
- It uses pantry staples you probably already have, which means no special grocery run on a weeknight.
02 -
- Crowding the pan is the fastest way to steam the beef instead of searing it so cook in two batches if your skillet is not very large.
- The residual heat continues cooking the beef after you pull it off the stove so take it off just before you think it looks done.
03 -
- A pinch of baking soda rubbed into the sliced beef for 15 minutes before marinating keeps it incredibly tender even if you accidentally overcook it slightly.
- Splashing a tablespoon of water or broth into the pan at the very end and scraping up the caramelized bits gives you an instant extra spoon of sauce to drizzle over the rice.