Searching for Seoul food

'jal meokkessumnida' i will eat well

One thing leads to another. I came to Korean food by way of kimchi, a permanent stock of which which has now become a staple in the fridge. Soon afterwards followed my introduction to Gochujang paste, from then on it was full speed ahead Korean lets go. Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir-fried Squid) Braised gochujang short ribs and now i have discovered Bulgogi
I´ve said it before and I'll say it again, and probably yet again. There’s nothing more satisfying than a perfectly marinated piece of cooked meat that just melts in your mouth and incites your taste buds.
Pronounced bool-go-gee, bulgogi translates to “fire meat.” This dish is comprised of thinly sliced marinated meat that is most commonly cooked on the grill but can absolutely be cooked in a pan as well. When cooking over the open flame the meat gets this perfect char around the outside edges bringing about so much extra flavor. It is very easy to make this recipe no matter how you decide to cook it
I prefer to throw all the ingredients for it in a blender as it helps to quickly infuse flavours so that it can penetrate the meat while marinating. Here are the main ingredients for bulgogi:

Onion
Garlic
Soy Sauce
Sugar (Brown or White or Both)
Water
Apple
Sesame Oil
Plum Extract/ tamarind (Optional)I used pomegranate molasses

You can use a variety of meat for this recipe and because it is sliced so thin and the marinade is so strong, it really won’t matter what you choose.
Top Round
Bottom Round
Ribeye
Sirloin
Strip Steak
Tenderloin

The perfect Beef bulgogi

1 cored and peeled fuji apple
4 garlic cloves
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 cups water
¼ cup sesame oil
3 tablespoons plum extract optional
½ peeled and thinly sliced yellow onion
2 pounds thinly sliced ribeye steak

Add the apple, garlic, sugars, water, sesame oil, and plum extract to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Set aside.
Next, add the onions and steak to a plastic zip bag or plastic container and pour in the blended marinade to completely submerge everything.
Move the meat and onions around to make sure the marinade gets into every crack and crevice of the bag.
Marinade the meat in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or recommended overnight.
Drain the meat and discard the marinade. Place the beef and onions spread out on a hot foil-lined grill at 450° to 550° for 2-3 minutes per side or until a light char has formed on the steak. See note for other ways to cook.
Serve with optional sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.

Kimchi gravy

Kimchi is served at nearly every meal. Commonly used ingredients include sesame oil, doenjang (fermented bean paste), soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, gochugaru (pepper flakes), gochujang (fermented red chili paste) and napa cabbage

2 cups kimchi with juices
1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
8 medium garlic cloves
1 (1 1/2-inch) knob fresh peeled ginger
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons gochujang
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon molasses
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a blender, combine kimchi and its juices, onion, garlic, and ginger, and blend until a smooth puree forms (add a bit of water, if necessary, to help the blending process).
In a medium sauce pan, combine kimchi puree with ketchup, rice vinegar, gochujang, Worcestershire sauce, and molasses, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly and flavors have combined, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.