Bulgogi Beef Bowls

Bulgogi (불고기, literally "fire meat") is a Korean dish typically made with tender cuts of beef such as top sirloin or tenderloin. Here, we incorporate some of the traditional flavors and ingredients of bulgogi and use ground beef instead. This recipe is full of flavor--a little sweet, a little spicy, a lot savory, and downright delicious.

Note: Gochujang, a Korean fermented chili paste, can be found at most Asian markets or online. If you can’t find it, substitute sriracha or some red chili flakes to taste in this recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

2-in piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1 large garlic clove, smashed and peeled

2 scallions (3 if small)

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp gochujang 

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 

To serve:

White rice 

Sliced crunchy vegetables of choice (carrots, snap peas, radishes, etc.)

Kimchi or other pickled veggies 

Preparation:

1) Prepare the rice according to package directions. 

Make the sauce

2) Mince the ginger and garlic clove and put in a small bowl. 

Slice 2 scallions (three if they’re small) diagonally crosswise and add to bowl. 

Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar to the bowl and mix. 

Set aside 1 tbsp gochujang and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds. 

Cook the beef 

3) Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon, cooking until browned. (This may take a little longer than expected—but the caramelized flavor is well worth it!) 

Add the sauce mixture and let it simmer, stirring, for about 2 minutes. 

Add the gochujang and sesame seeds. Stir until combined and turn off the heat. 

Assembly

4) Add beef to bowls with the cooked rice, sliced veggies of choice and some kimchi if you have it. Or add whatever your heart desires—the options are limitless for this bowl! Think roasted squash, shredded lettuce, sautéed lotus root, pickled radishes, etc. 

Enjoy!

Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons cooking fat (butter, lard, tallow — I used tallow)

• 1 onion, chopped

• 4-6 garlic gloves, minced

• 1 lb St. John’s organic ground beef

• 1 lb mushrooms, chopped

• 3-4 tablespoons flour

• 1.5 cups beef bone broth (can substitute chicken bone broth or water)

• 3/4 cup sour cream

• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat pan on medium heat. Add fat to pan.

2. Once fat is melted, add chopped onion to pan.

3. When onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes), add garlic to pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to keep garlic from burning.

4. Add ground beef to pan, stirring every so often and breaking into medium sized pieces with mixing spoon.

5. Once beef is almost cooked through, add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes and mushrooms are tender.

6. When beef is completely cooked, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent clumping. I used 4 tablespoons but you may only need 3, depending on how much fat there is for the flour to soak up. Once the fat is soaked up into the flour, stop adding flour and cook for 1 minute. Cooking the flour is essential to prevent a “flour-y” taste in the end result.

7. Add broth to pan, scraping the bottom frequently. Once broth is simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

8. Add sour cream to pan, stir well to combine. Simmer 2-3 minutes.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste. I season along the way because I use homemade broth that doesn’t have salt added. If you used boxed broth or made it from bouillon paste, you likely won’t need much salt.

10. Serve promptly! Our family’s favorite pairing is rice and sauerkraut with lots of extra black pepper.

Serving Suggestions:

• egg noodles (this is the traditional pairing)

• rice

• mashed potatoes

• toasted sourdough bread or French bread

• sauerkraut or sour pickles