Vegan Bulgogi
WHAT YOU’RE MAKING:
My husband and I were craving Korean BBQ the other night, so I decided to make a vegan version of Bulgogi. Bulgogi, meaning "fire meat", is a stir fry of thin, marinated slices of meat (most commonly beef) grilled on a barbecue, stove-top griddle, or in a pan. I was determined to veganize it and it came out so darn good! Let me know if you come up with a catchy vegan name for Bulgogi.
BULGOGI INGREDIENTS:
2 large handfuls (about 2 heaping cups) of soy curls
1/2 large onion thinly sliced in half moons
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
1 green onion sliced using only the green part
SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup of tamari
1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of miren or Asian cooking wine
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch knob of freshly grated ginger or 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
6 turns of black pepper
1 tablespoon of gochujang or 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (Korean red pepper flakes - not the kind from McCormick!)
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of gravy master (optional but gives the sauce a nice, rich color)
METHOD:
In a bowl, soak soy curls in warm water and set aside.
In a separate bowl, add all the sauce ingredients while whisking so there are no lumps. Set aside.
In a hot, dry non-stick pan, add onions and a pinch of salt. Lower the heat to medium and leave them alone so they begin to caramelize. After about 2 minutes, begin to stir around adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of water or veggie broth so they don’t burn.
While the onions are cooking, drain the soy curls squeezing out as much liquid as you can.
Once onions have caramelized a bit, add the soy curls to the pan, pressing down to get a little browning. This should cook for about 5 minutes. Then, add the sauce and stir to incorporate, making sure everything is covered. Continue to cook for about a minute until the sauce thickens.
Serve with your choice of rice, and top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onion. Enjoy!
