Bulgogi

A couple of weeks ago we made bulgogi 불고기 (not bulgogi burgers) in class. Bulgogi literally means 'fire-meat', but nowadays it's generally cooked in a frying pan, not over an open flame.

First we watched a video in class, in which one of the teachers from the school shows the other how to buy the ingredients and cook the dish.

The teacher on the right has just added the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, scallions, wine, and sesame seeds to the thin-sliced beef, and is mixing it all together. The subtitles say, "Hey, teacher! Don't mash it up so forcefully!"

Then we all walked over to the College of Human Ecology building, where the Department of Food and Nutrition has some large test kitchens. We were with another class of the same level. They are at the far end in this picture. My classmates are in the foreground.


I was wearing this ridiculous Mickey Mouse apron that I had brought. I was wearing a reasonably nice shirt for my afternoon seminar and I didn't want to stain it.

After not mashing up the meat and marinade too forcefully, we left it to marinate.


In the meantime, we prepared bindeatteok 빈대떡, a fried "pancake" with batter made from egg and mung-bean powder. The one we made had squid, shrimp, mushrooms, and scallions in it. We also added some kimchi, which reddened the color some.


We put too much batter in the pan, making it too thick. It was difficult to flip.


But it came out pretty good.


Then we fried up the bulgogi, with onions.

When it was done we ate it wrapped in lettuce leaves with garlic slices, rice, kimchi, and hot pepper bean paste.

My favorite banchan, or side dish, is myeolchi bokkeum 멸치 볶음, fried anchovies. I've been experimenting with preparing it myself, using a recipe that Erma's mother gave me.

First I fried up the dried anchovies with green pepper and garlic.


Then I added a mixture of hot pepper paste, soy sauce, sugar, and wine. The result is sweet and spicy.


Speaking of dried fish, I bought this recently at the little market on the corner. It's to be used as an anju (안주 按酒), a snack to accompany alcohol. Dried fish and squid are commonly eaten as anju.


It's a bit hard to see, but there is a little wooden rod running through the fish heads. I think that traditionally these fish would have been hung from the rod to dry in the wind. You'll also note the little round packet of hot pepper paste, for dipping.

The package says nogari 노가리, which the dictionary defines as 'young walleye pollack', but the ingredients list says it is geondaegu 건대구 'dried cod'. Perhaps they are the same thing. The package price is 3,000 won (about $3), but it was selling for 1,800.