Bulgogi (with Kiwi)

We found this recipe on the Internet and after making it once, we decided to modify it. I think we've almost perfected it. This is an amazing Korean dish that promises never to leave leftovers. In fact, you'll probably want to lick your plate clean and lick the serving dish too!

We served this with rice and stir-fried bokchoy, onions, and peppers. It's good with kimchi too - as the sourness of the kimchi really compliments the sweetness of this sauce.

Meat
2 pounds thinly sliced beef tenderloin (you can use almost any beef, but tenderloin is delish)

Marinade
6 Tbsp  soy sauce
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp Mirin (rice) wine
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp chopped green onions (including tops)
1 whole ripe kiwi, pureed
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

Make the marinade. place in a large bowl and add the beef. Use your hands to massage the beef and marinade together. Be sure it is well mixed and beef is completely covered. Let stand on countertop for at least 1/2 hour. If you use a tougher cut of meat, you should let it marinade longer.

Heat wok to very hot. Add oil that has a high smoke point (grapeseed oil, coconut oil, canola oil). Make sure oil and pan are very hot. Add beef a little at a time. Cook just until done and remove beef to a warm dish. Add more beef and repeat. Drain any sauce that collects on the bottom of the pan, adding more oil and heating the pan to very hot before adding the meat. It's okay for the beef to get a little crispy. Always cook in small batches so the beef is stir-fried and not boiled. It should sizzle when it hits the pan.

You can also cook beef on a charcoal grill with a fine steel mesh or tin foil so beef doesn't fall through the grate. You don't want to burn the meat or it becomes bitter. Also when using beef tenderloin, you want to cook it lightly so it stays tender. Remember the meat will continue cooking even after you remove it from the pan.

If you stir fry veggies, do that first in the wok and set aside with them covered to stay warm. You can use any kind of veggies - try mushrooms, pea pods, julienned carrots and napa cabbage in addition to onions, bok choy and colorful sweet peppers.

Serves 4-6 people