Let’s tackle a classic at-home meal for families. About the South of Seoul ‘A Year to Learn Korean Cooking’ Series Many of us live in South Korea for only a year. The time flies past faster than we can imagine. At South of Seoul, we decided to create a simple series that will offer 2-4 dishes to learn each month so that when you leave South Korea you have a slew of new dishes you feel comfortable making anywhere. This series is a collaboration with Kimchi Rednecks. In 2020 they created the first blog in this series Online Resources for Learning to Cook Korean Food. These two love to have adventures in the kitchen and share the results with their community. Be sure to follow Kimchi Rednecks on YouTube for other great videos about living life in South Korea. About Bulgogi Bulgogi (불고기) literally translates to “fire meat.” It is perhaps the most popular Korean BBQ dish known to the western world. It is made from thinly sliced meat, marinated, and cooked over fire. The dish can be made from beef, chicken, or pork. Before cooking, the meat is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, sesame oil, sugar, and often onions, green onions or mushrooms. The marinade mixture often has a fruit like the Korean pear or an extract like maesil-cheong (Korean Plum Extract) to help tenderize the meat. Often the meat can develop great flavor from the marinade in just an hour, but many cooks tend to marinate the meat overnight for better taste. This marinade mixture often varies according to the chef, but the basics stay the same. Believed to have originated in the Goruyeo era (37 BC to 668 AD), this dish has evolved from a skewered meat called maekjeok (맥적) to neobiani (너비아니) during the Joseon Dynasty. These days bulgogi is a popular family meal with many pre-made bulgogi options at the local grocery in South Korea, however, once we all return to our homelands we will need to know how to make it ourselves. Although traditionally bulgogi was grilled, it is commonly pan-fried as well. It is often served with rice, side dishes and a leafy vegetable (lettuce, perilla leaf, etc.) and ssamjang (thick spicy paste made from doenjang, gochujang, onions, sesame oil, garlic, sugar and green onions). It is not uncommon for diners to make a lettuce wrap from bulgogi, rice, ssamjang and side dishes. Biggest Hurdle Making Bulgogi You can choose to grill your bulgogi which will give it a rich smokier flavor or you can pan fry it. Often when pan frying your bulgogi, the extra juice created from the vegetables and marinade can create a wonderful gravy that can be added to your rice. That extra juice, however, keeps the pan-fried bulgogi from developing smokiness. If you still want that flavor and are pan frying, try heating your cast iron pan on a higher heat prior to adding your meat and frying your meat in smaller batches and without the vegetables. Don’t worry if you don’t have a cast-iron pan, your bulgogi will still taste great. Also, be careful not to marinate the meat too long as it will change color and possibly texture. We recommend marinating for a couple of hours to overnight (depending upon the cut of the meat and how tough it is). If you over-marinate the meat it does not get better. Instead, it changes into a strange-looking ‘mush’. Three Recommended Bulgogi Videos to Watch Bulgogi is an incredibly easy dish to make. You can often find the meat pre-sliced and ready to go at the grocery store. It is also possible to find the dish pre-marinated and ready to cook. Since it is a really easy dish to put together yourself, we recommend finding a recipe you love and get to cooking. (You can also add gochugaru to add a little heat to this dish if you like spicy!) Watch these three versions of bulgogi and try your hand at making it tonight! Korean Pork Bulgogi Korean Beef Bulgogi and Seoul-Style Bulgogi American in Korea Bulgogi Let Us Know How It Turns Out When you try Bulgogi for the first time, be sure to leave a comment and let us know how it went! If you live in Pyeongtaek you can even share your success (or failure) with us in the Pyeongtaek Food & Fun Facebook group. If you are looking for other dishes (Korean or otherwise) or reviews of restaurants, be sure to check out the KimchiRednecks channel or check out our social media accounts on Facebook or Instagram, where we often share what we are cooking or eating. Read more in our Year to Learn Korean Cooking Series KimchiRednecksAbout Melissa Edwards-Whittington & Chuck Whittington (KimchiRednecks) Chuck and Melissa—also known as the KimchiRednecks—have been living in Korea since 2017 and documenting their life abroad since launching their YouTube channel in 2018. Originally created to share their adventures with friends and family back in the U.S., KimchiRednecks has since grown into a vibrant and dynamic platform that reflects their love for Korean culture, food, travel, and everyday life. From foodie explorations and recipe experiments to gaming, tech, and car projects (especially the BRZ), their content offers a fun and honest window into expat life. Chuck Whittington is a graduate of Francis Marion University with a degree in Information Systems Management. With over two decades of experience in IT, Chuck combines his technical expertise with a long-standing fascination with Korea—having visited many times before moving permanently. He’s the tech-savvy side of KimchiRednecks and brings a love for innovation, gaming, and cars to the channel. Melissa Edwards-Whittington holds a degree in Bible with a minor in Elementary Education from Mid-Atlantic Christian University. She has worn many hats over the years—working in customer service, marketing, and now also serving as a volunteer Co-Editor and Social Media Marketing Manager for United on the RoK Magazine. Her writing and digital work focus on building community and supporting military-connected and expatriate populations in Korea. Melissa also volunteers with South of Seoul, where she helps manage online social media groups, supports local language exchanges, and creates original content to assist newcomers and long-term residents alike. Together, Chuck and Melissa share their lives with their three beloved Shih Tzu daughters—Minion, Sookie (forever in their hearts), and Mayhem—who are frequently featured in their videos and social media posts. Whether they’re sipping coffee at a neighborhood café, exploring hidden corners of Korea, or experimenting with homemade whiskey and brandy on their second channel, Shining with KimchiRednecks, Chuck and Melissa are passionate about sharing the real and ever-evolving journey of life abroad. One of their greatest joys is cooking, and they frequently document their culinary adventures—especially their experiences learning to prepare Korean dishes and other global cuisines—on their YouTube channel, inviting others to celebrate food, culture, and connection alongside them. Follow Chuck, Melissa & the KimchiRednecks Adventures: YouTube: @kimchirednecks YouTube: @shiningwithkimchirednecks Instagram: @kimchirednecks Facebook: KimchiRednecks United on the RoK Magazine: www.unitedontherokmag.com

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