When I come home after a long day of work or classes, I am usually exhausted. As much as I love cooking, there are days when I just want to eat something quick that is satisfying yet requires minimum effort and energy expenditure. This dish is perfect for a quick weekday dinner during those days when you feel really, really lazy... I would say that this takes 10 minutes to make, from start to finish! The most work that this recipe requires may be mincing the garlic or chopping the green onions. (And isn't there always something cathartic about smashing garlic cloves with your knife?) The base sauce for this dish is a pretty standard Korean bulgogi marinade, except that since you're using ground beef, it requires no marination at all. I hope you enjoy it!
currently listening to:
Girl's Day- Something
i've been listening to this non-stop for the past 2 weeks.. the first time I heard it, I thought it was so-so, but after about 5 times, it definitely grows on you...! (the addictive nature of K-pop songs) Girl's Day is definitely a rising name in the K-pop industry-- from 2010-2012, they were not as well known , and their name was buried in the deluge of new idol groups. However, after extremely successful tracks such as Expectation and Female President in 2013, Girl's Day is now one of the biggest girl groups in K-pop. The main vocalist, Minah, is truly talented and is one of my favorite voices in K-pop. It's sometimes a bit unfair because she is known to "carry the group" and the other members are quite overshadowed, but there's no denying her exceptional talent (she sings from 0:11-0:16, 1:20-1:30, 2:33-2:46, as well as the chorus and all of the ad-libs). Hopefully she will be releasing a solo album in the near future!
ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger (available in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores, or you can use fresh ginger)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- salt
- 1 bunch green onions
- optional: onions, mushrooms, or any other veggies you wish to add in
serves 2
prep time: 2-5 min
cook time: <10 min
adapted from elizabeth bryant
directions:
1. Mince the garlic and slice the green onions.
2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, sesame oil, and garlic on medium heat.
3. While the meat is cooking, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, crushed red pepper, and black pepper in a bowl.
4. If your ground beef is fatty, then drain some of the fat that comes out. Add the sauce to the skillet and let simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to seep through the meat. Add more salt if necessary (I didn't add any)
5. That's it! Place steamed rice on a plate, pour or spoon the beef over the rice, and top with green onions. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over the plate if desired.
Enjoy!