Skirt Steak Bulgogi

By Eric Kim

Published July 28, 2021

Skirt Steak Bulgogi
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Total Time
30 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
4(832)
Comments
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Neobiani, a dish of broad, thin slices of beef tenderized with shallow slits from a knife, was a feature of royal court cuisine during the Joseon dynasty in Korea (1392 to 1910) and a predecessor to today’s beloved bulgogi of very thinly sliced marinated grilled meat. This variation borrows from neobani, but doesn’t require knife skills: Well-marbled skirt steak is pounded thin and marinated in a tenderizing sweet purée of Asian pear, onion, soy sauce and maple syrup. Bulgogi, which means “fire meat,” is best with the flame-licked char from a grill, but a hot skillet on the stovetop would work in a pinch.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 2pounds skirt steak, cut into 4-inch-long pieces
  • 1medium Asian pear or Fuji apple (about 8 ounces), peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1cup chopped yellow onion, plus 1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
  • 10large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • ¼cup soy sauce
  • ¼cup maple syrup
  • 2tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • 2bunches scallions
  • Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, for grilling
  • Steamed white rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

371 calories; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 607 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    On a large cutting board, pound the steak until it is ⅛-inch thick using a meat mallet or heavy skillet. Transfer to a large bowl.

  2. Step 2

    In a food processor or blender, blitz the pear, chopped onion, the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, maple syrup, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Pour the wet mixture over the steak, cover tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

  3. Step 3

    When ready to cook, prepare a charcoal grill for direct high-heat cooking, or heat a gas grill to high. On a sheet pan, coat the sliced onions and the scallions with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Carefully grease the grill grate: Use tongs to grip a wadded paper towel dipped in oil and then rub the grates with the oiled towel. Wipe off any marinade clinging to the steaks and place the steaks on the hot, greased grate, along with the onion rounds and scallions. Grill the steak until charred and caramelized at the edges, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Grill the onions and scallions until charred but still crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. If using a gas grill, close the lid between flips. Discard any remaining marinade. (See Tip for stovetop method.)

  5. Step 5

    Arrange the steaks on a large platter, and top with the grilled onions and scallions. Serve family-style with steamed rice.

Tip
  • Alternatively, you can cook the steaks and onions on the stovetop in batches in a lightly oiled large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sear the steaks until charred and caramelized at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cook the onions and scallions next, until charred but still crunchy, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Discard any remaining marinade.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
832 user ratings
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Comments

matt in da bronx

It’s a bit unclear how to cut the steak. It says cut into 4-inch long pieces but that’s only one of three dimensions. How thick should it be? how wide should it be?

bethhughes

To those with questions about how to cut the skirt steak into 4-inch pieces before pounding/marinating: cut crosswise (perpendicular to the length of the steak); the result should be roughly squares/oblongs. After cooking, to eat, one would slice it thinly across the grain.

Susan

I’ve made this dish twice. The first time I marinated it for 24 hours, found the texture to be mushy. Second time I marinated it for only 2 hours. Much better results. All of the comments about the price of skirt steak are true.

Babs

@Martin R. The reason I made this is because the skirt steakwas on sale for $5.99 a pound. in Massachusetts ee have a chain called Market Basket. they have great prices

Babs

I left the sugar and salt out of the marinade with great results@tbk

Kelly D

I really enjoyed this! I was skeptical after reading through the comments but I found marinating the steak for about 5 hours yielded a really tender but not mushy steak and cooking it in the cast iron was totally doable because the burnt sugar came right up when it’s hot. Like many others I added gochujang to the marinade, used an apple I had on hand, and served it over rice with steamed broccoli and kimchi. Will add this into the regular rotation!

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