The markets are full of local pears these days and I have been waiting for them to use to make this bulgogi and pear kale salad! Bulgogi is a Korean style of bbq/grilled meat where the meat is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic. The marinade often includes things like pureed pears and onions to add sweetness and help tenderize the meat so it’s perfect with some fall pears!
Bulgogi can be made with different kinds of meat and my favourite is beef! Since this dish is all about the meat, in this case beef, it’s good to use a prime cut of steak like sirloin, strip loin, rib eye, flank steak or skirt steak. (For this batch of bulgogi I went with some nice Ontario Corn Fed Beef strip loins!) Using a good cut of beef, slicing it thinly, cutting it against the grain and marinating the steak in the pear based marinade over night helps to ensure a wonderfully tender and juicy bulgogi!
You can eat this bulgogi all by itself, over rice or as I did in this case, in a salad! I used baby kale as the base for this salad and I added some colour in the form of purple cabbage, orange carrots, red kimchi and green avocado and onions. Of course the beef bulgogi is the star of the show and fresh sweet, crisp/juicy pears finish everything off. For the dressing I went with a base of pureed pears with some Korean chili paste, Korean bean paste, vinegar, soy sauce, tahini (sesame butter), sesame oil and ground sesame seeds which is so nice and creamy and just packed with flavour!
Mmmmm… just look at all of that tasty beef bulgogi!
Add some pears to the stir-fry!
Feel free to add some goat cheese!
Korean Bulgogi and Pear Kale Salad
A pear and kale salad with Korean style marinated steak bulgogi and a spicy chili, pear and creamy tahini dressing.
ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 small pear, peeled and cored
- 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound Ontario Corn Fed Beef steak (flank, skirt, strip loin, ribeye, etc.) thinly sliced
- 1/2 pear, pureed
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste) (or sriracha)
- 1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean soy bean paste) (or miso or omit)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tahini (or peanut butter)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and crushed
- 6 cups baby kale (or shredded kale)
- 1 cup cabbage, sliced
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 pear, sliced
- 1/2 cup kimchi
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
For the beef bulgogi:
For the dressing:
For the salad:
directions
- Puree the soy sauce, pear, onion, sugar, garlic, ginger and sesame oil before mixing into the steak and placing it in a sealed container to marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Drain the marinade and cook the steak on the grill or in a pan over medium-high heat, about 6-8 minutes.
- Mix everything!
- Assemble the salad and enjoy!
For the beef bulgogi:
For the dressing:
For the salad:
Option: Replace the pureed pear with an apple or kiwi or 1/2 cup pineapple, etc.
Option: Replace the brown sugar with plain sugar or honey, etc.
Option: Add 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese, feta, etc.
Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
Dak Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Chicken)
Pineapple Dak Bulgogi (Pineapple Korean BBQ Chicken)
Daeji Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Pork)
Kalbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)
Bulgogi Burgers
Salmon Bulgogi
Dakkochi (Korean Skewered Chicken)
Thai Beef Noodle Salad
20 Minute Korean Beef
Thai Grilled Steak Salad
Korean Style Grilled Flank Steak
I love kale salads!