Bulgogi meatballs defy tradition, but their flavor remains Korean

I used to be a Korean food traditionalist — ironic for an academic who teaches about third-culture kids, a term used for people who grow up in immigrant households and forge a unique “third culture” that draws on both their home and extra-familial cultures. When it comes to food, however, some third-culture kids hold fast to tradition as if to preserve a part of their ethnic identities. My mom emigrated from South Korea in 1967, bringing a set of flavors, techniques and recipes that would fossilize from that moment. It was a challenge to find ingredients to cook traditional Korean food in metro Detroit then, but she pulled it off brilliantly, managing to pass on to my sister and me her sohn mat — Korean for taste of the hands, usually conferred from mother to child.

When I traveled to Korea with my mom almost 50 years after she’d emigrated, we were both disappointed to find that much of the food had, in our minds, become Americanized — becoming milder and lighter than what we thought Korean food should be. When we inquired about where to find the more pungent, traditional dishes we craved, locals laughed at us. “You’re so old-fashioned!” they said. “No one in Korea eats that way anymore.”

That was an overstatement, to be sure, but it made us realize something: Our palates were stuck in 1967 Seoul, whereas the cuisine in Korea had naturally evolved. Bulgogi, in fact, evolved tremendously from its origins as a skewered meat during the Goguryeo era (37 B.C. to A.D. 668). The literal translation of bulgogi, “fire meat,” seems like a misnomer now, as these days bulgogi is often cooked in a pan and is sometimes even simmered in a broth (ideal for drizzling over rice).

Recognizing gastronomical evolution as more than a theoretical concept helped me become more open to contemporary Korean cuisine, both in Korea and in the diaspora, letting me reframe my identity as a biracial Korean American without requiring that I remain a staunch food traditionalist. I may never come around to putting American cheese in my kimbap (as many Koreans now do), but I no longer equate traditional with authentic. The bulgogi meatballs below are a perfect example of third-culture cooking, which describes so much of the best American cooking today. They evolved from the traditional recipe I used to cook with my mom to quick and fun meatballs I developed with my own kids.

Like all traditional bulgogi, it starts with the classic Korean barbecue marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sugar and garlic. Mirin (sweet rice wine) is often added to help tenderize the meat, though grated onion or Asian pear also does the trick. That said, one of the benefits of using ground beef instead of the thinly sliced steak is that it doesn’t require a tenderizer or marinating time. You just mix the ingredients together, roll into balls and pop them under the broiler. The resulting meatballs can be served many ways: as passed hors d’oeuvres; for dinner with rice or noodles and sautéed greens or sliced cucumbers; or our favorite way, with ssambap — Korean lettuce wraps with rice. Rewarmed leftovers (if only!) on top of a little scoop of rice make for a terrific thermos lunch the next day.

Traditional or not, any way you serve these meatballs, their flavors are true bulgogi.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

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• 1/3 cup soy sauce (may substitute tamari)
• 1/4 cup (scant 2 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon mirin (optional)
• 4 to 5 medium cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1/3 cup panko (may substitute 10 crushed gluten-free or butter crackers, such as Ritz)
• 1 pound ground beef (85 percent lean; may substitute plant-based meat alternatives, such as Beyond Meat; ground pork; or ground dark meat of chicken or turkey)
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, mirin if using and garlic.

Position a baking rack about 6 inches from the broiling element and preheat the broiler.

Add half of the soy sauce marinade to a large bowl; reserve the remainder for the dipping sauce. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and stir to combine. Add the beef and scallions, and gently mix it all together until thoroughly combined, being careful to not overwork the mixture.

Use a scant 1-tablespoon measure to scoop the mixture and gently roll into meatballs, placing them on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Keep the meatballs small — no more than one inch in diameter — so they cook quickly.

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are evenly browned and the internal temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (To check without a thermometer, carefully grab a meatball with tongs and break it: If the inside is uniform in color and texture, it’s cooked through. If it’s not, give them a couple more minutes.) Ideally, you’ll get a nice char on the top without overcooking them.

While the meatballs are broiling, pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and the cornstarch to form a slurry, then whisk it into the marinade. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat and set aside.

To serve: If serving as hors d’oeuvres, stick a toothpick into each meatball and arrange them on a serving platter with the dipping sauce on the side — or drizzle the sauce over the meatballs, with toothpicks on the side. If serving as a main course, arrange the meatballs on a platter with the sauce on the side or drizzled over and serve, family-style, with rice and sautéed spinach or bok choy, or with sliced cucumbers and crispy lettuce leaves for wrapping.

Per serving (4 meatballs), based on 10

Calories: 159; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 31 mg; Sodium: 572 mg; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 6 g; Protein: 10 g

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

From writing professor and cookbook author Cammie Kim Lin, adapted from “(Serious) New Cook” by Leah Su Quiroga and Cammie Kim Lin (Rizzoli New York, 2022).

Tested by Olga Massov; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.

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