Is the Secret of Good Bulgogi Be in the Taste That Dare Not Speak Its Name?

Submitted by crimfan on Sun, 06/13/2010 - 4:55pm
bulgogi

So I've loved bulgogi---Korean BBQ beef, sliced thin and thrown on the grill---for a long time. You really have to get good thin sliced beef and make a nice marinade with ingredients like sesame oil, ginger, etc. Nice recipes are available on the intarweb, e.g.,

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bulgogi-Korean-Barbecued-Beef/Detail.aspx.

Pork bulgogi is even better, but I've not tried that in a while. Same basic idea but with lots of chili peppers! :)

I've done all that, with the exception of the optional ingredient. While I don't have a grill, I've cooked it using the broiler and it gets to a reasonable approximation of what a grill would do.

And yet... and yet... it just lacks that je ne sais quoi? of restaurant bulgogi.

Could I be forced down the path of the Taste That Dare Not Speak Its Name?

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/28/2010 - 7:35pm.

There are other sources of umami than MSG...

Submitted by crimfan on Tue, 06/29/2010 - 12:43pm.

True enough. So that makes me think that there's a bunch o' MSG in there. I might try throwing in some 'shrooms and using tamari or a hint of fish sauce.