I’ve made a half-hearted version of beef bulgogi in the past but this time, I made it as authentically as I could. I bought a nice piece of sirloin steak, par froze it and cut it as thinly as possible. I also bought an Asian pear. And watched several videos before I chose the one which produced this dish.
PS: I only used half the pear in this dish so I sliced up and ate the rest on its own. It LOOKS like an apple but tastes like a pear with a finer granular texture. It is delicious.
Sweet and salty though it COULD be hotter. Next time … more gochujang. Or I’ll buy a hotter version of the Korean chili paste. I used the this recipe, but I added shaved carrots for added colour and nutrition.
Still, it’s a tasty and relatively inexpensive home made bulgogi. Served over sushi rice but rice noodles are delicious too.
Mise en place – the meat was marinated overnight.
After cooking
Cooking is Fun ... Really!! 
I love bulgogi! I was very excited to have gotten an Asian Pear tree for Arbor Day (in April in the States) from our city during their annual tree giveaway. Unfortunately, the pears were tiny, about an inch and a half. I’m assuming it is some kind of ornamental version. It had pretty flowers in the spring, tho!
Bulgogi has become a staple in our home. The strong, earthy depth of flavour is one of our favourites. I usually make a large batch of the sauce and keep it in the fridge for a quick meal. We usually fry the rice in a cast iron pan with sesame oil to give it that crisp skin, so good. Also, kimchi is wonderful with it. Will try Asian pear next time.
I enjoyed the sweet and salty and spicy notes. I have yet to try it with fried rice. The rice noodles were my favourites of the 2 ways I tried it.