Celebrate the Lunar New Year with this delicious Korean beef bulgogi recipe from Asian Tapas! Translating literally as 'fire meat', bulgogi is a nationally-beloved dish made with marinated, grilled beef. Using a good cut here is key; you want the meat to be almost as soft as the flaky pastry on the outside.
1 batch of Puff Pastry Dough
4 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
1⁄2 onion, finely chopped
1⁄4 pineapple (pear or kiwi will also work), finely chopped
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
150 g/51⁄4 oz. sirloin steak, sliced into bite-size strips
1 egg, beaten
White sesame seeds, to garnish
Chilli sauce, for dipping
Stove top griddle pan/grill pan, lightly greased
2 large baking sheets, greased
MAKES 12
Stir together the filling ingredients, apart from the meat, in a large bowl to form a marinade paste, adding a little water to loosen if necessary.
Mix the beef strips with the paste, making sure that each strip is well coated. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours; left longer than this the beef may become too salty.
While the meat is marinating, prepare 12 puff pastry dough balls. Chill in the fridge until needed.
Heat a griddle/grill pan over a medium-high heat, add the beef strips and juices to the pan and cook until the meat is browned around the edges and cooked to your liking, around 3–7 minutes. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.
Roll each pastry ball into a square about 10 cm/4 inches along each edge. Put a tablespoon of filling in the middle and brush the edges with a little beaten egg. Fold the pastry in half diagonally to create a triangle. Seal the edges then tuck the seams underneath to create a smooth finish on top. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Place the puffs on the greased baking sheets and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with the chilli dipping sauce on the side.
For more Lunar New Year recipe ideas, check out Asian Tapas. Get more great blog posts like this one – direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.