Bulgogi is a traditional Korean meat dish. It’s made by marinating thinly sliced beef or other meats in seasoning and then grilling it over a fire. It’s considered one of Korea’s national dishes.
Name
The name “bulgogi” originated from the meaning “meat grilled over fire” in the past, gradually evolving to mean “thinly sliced meat marinated in seasoning and grilled.” Grilled meat seasoned only with salt is called “sogeumgui” to distinguish it.
When people mention “bulgogi,” they usually refer to thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce seasoning. If it’s seasoned with gochujang, it’s called “gochujang bulgogi.” There are also variations like pork bulgogi made with pork and pufferfish bulgogi made with pufferfish.
History
Bulgogi’s roots can be traced back to the ancient Goguryeo dynasty, where a dish called “Maekjeok” (貊炙), meaning grilled meat, was common. However, with the influence of Buddhism, the tradition faded. It resurfaced during the late Goryeo period, influenced by the Mongol Empire, evolving into “Seolyamyek” (雪夜覓), which eventually led to the development of Neobiani in the Joseon era and modern-day Bulgogi.
In the agricultural and household manual “Sallim Gyeongje” compiled from the late 17th to early 18th century, Neobiani, a royal court-style Bulgogi, is mentioned. It describes thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, pounded with the back of a knife to tenderize, threaded onto bamboo skewers, and grilled over charcoal fire after the seasoning has soaked in.
In Kim Hong-do’s 18th-century painting “Sagye Pungsokdo Byeong” depicting scenes of daily life, there is a depiction of nobles enjoying Bulgogi at home.
In the 19th century, the introduction of iron grates led to the creation of charcoal-grilled dishes. The “Nanrohoe” (煖爐會) tradition in Seoul during this period, as recorded in the “Dongguk Sesigi,” describes foods similar to modern Bulgogi, cooked on grills over charcoal.
Making Bulgogi
For bulgogi, we mainly use cuts of beef like sirloin or tenderloin, which have little connective tissue and a bit of marbling. The meat is thinly sliced against the grain and sometimes scored horizontally and vertically to tenderize it. Then, it’s marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, chopped scallions, garlic, and other aromatics, along with sesame seeds, ginger juice, and ground black pepper. After marinating, the meat is gently massaged to allow the flavors to penetrate. Once it’s marinated, we add a bit of sesame oil and grill it slowly over medium heat.
Types
By Cooking Method:
- Soup Bulgogi: Thinly sliced marinated meat cooked in a lightly seasoned broth. Seoul-style bulgogi is famous for this. There’s also “ttukbaegi bulgogi,” cooked in a clay pot with lots of vegetables, sometimes eaten as a bulgogi hot pot.
- Grilled Bulgogi: Meat grilled on a barbecue grill. Gwangyang-style and Yeongyang-style bulgogi are famous for this. It’s similar to the Goguryeo’s “maekjeok,” Goryeo’s “seolyamyek,” and Joseon’s “neobiani,” which were all grilled meat dishes, and also the “bassak bulgogi” that appeared in Seoul in the 1960s.
By Seasoning:
- Soy Sauce Bulgogi: When we say “bulgogi,” we usually mean thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce. There’s also pork bulgogi, marinated in soy sauce or with added gochujang (red chili paste).
- Gochujang Bulgogi: Beef bulgogi marinated in gochujang is called “gochujang bulgogi.” Pork bulgogi with gochujang is more common.
By Ingredients:
- Beef Bulgogi: Thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce is typically what we mean by “bulgogi.”
- Pork Bulgogi: Made with pork, it can be marinated in soy sauce or with gochujang to make “gochujang bulgogi.”
- Osam Bulgogi: Made with squid and pork belly, marinated in gochujang.
- Kongnamul Bulgogi: Made with pork and kongnamul (soybean sprouts), marinated in gochujang.
- Bok Bulgogi: Similar to bulgogi but made with blowfish. It’s also marinated in gochujang.
Different Styles of Bulgogi
Gwangyang-style Bulgogi
Gwangyang-style bulgogi is grilled on a copper grill over charcoal made from oak wood. The meat, thinly sliced and marinated, is placed directly on the grill and flipped like stir-frying. It originated from a dish served by a couple named Kim in Gwangyang, who lived outside Gwangyang Fortress during the Joseon Dynasty. They treated exiled scholars and local children they taught as a gesture of goodwill. Scholars who returned to their positions after exile couldn’t forget the taste of Gwangyang’s meat and longed for its flavor even in Hanyang, calling it “the best taste in the world is maro bulgogi,” referring to the taste of Gwangyang bulgogi. “Maro” is the old name for Gwangyang. Some enjoy it as a red soup with charcoal-grilled meat and vegetables in a broth made with kimchi and cabbage kimchi.
Seoul-style Bulgogi
Seoul-style bulgogi is a soup-based bulgogi derived from royal cuisine. It’s served in a bowl with a rounded center, allowing direct grilling, and a shallow outer rim for containing water or broth. Juices from the meat drip into the broth, enhancing the flavor. Sometimes the meat is dipped into the broth while cooking or left to soak before eating. It’s served with mushrooms, green onions, onions, and glass noodles. The origin of the grilling container used for Seoul-style bulgogi is uncertain, but it resembles the bowls used for jeongol (Korean hot pot) during the Joseon Dynasty, and it’s believed to have been used before the 1960s, based on photographic evidence depicting Seoul citizens’ lives. When people in the capital region refer to “bulgogi,” they mostly mean Seoul-style bulgogi.
Additionally, there’s “bassak bulgogi,” which appeared near Yongsan Station in Seoul in the 1960s. It’s thinly sliced skirt meat marinated for about two days, then grilled on a barbecue grill.
Ulsan-style Bulgogi
Ulsan-style bulgogi is a local dish from Ulju County, Ulsan Metropolitan City. It became famous during the Japanese occupation due to the presence of slaughterhouses in the area. This style involves marinating beef and grilling it on a barbecue grill. It became popular in the 1960s when construction workers gathered for the construction of highways spread the word about it. The meat is lightly seasoned to preserve its natural flavor, unlike Gwangyang-style bulgogi, and it’s aged after seasoning before grilling. The meat is thinly spread over a hot grill, quickly seared over high heat, then slowly cooked over medium heat to ensure it’s cooked through. It’s often eaten with lettuce, perilla leaves, and other leafy greens as wraps.
In nearby Bonggyeri, Dudo-myeon, Ulju County, beef seasoned only with salt and grilled over charcoal is also called “Bonggye-style Bulgogi.” There’s a similar dish called “bangja gui.”