Venison Bulgogi Rice Bowl
I was trying to come up with something fast when I made this, but it also turned out super tasty and light. That makes it a great dish for either a snack or a meal.
Typically bulgogi takes hours to marinate and then you have to fire up the charcoal. It's absolutely worth it, but it is time consuming.
If you are short on time, this is the recipe you want.
Let's talk about the meat. Bulgogi is usually made with thinly sliced prime cuts like backstrap or tenderloin.
Venison Butchering Diagram
Download my complete venison cut diagram showing every primal cut and the best cooking methods for each—from tenderloin steaks to ground shoulder.
For this recipe I used ground venison. Don't go grinding up your backstrap though, any ground venison will work here. Aim for 10–20% fat. I used pork fat, but beef fat will also work.
Now the seasoning. Like I mentioned, bulgogi is normally marinated. Here, I used a similar sauce but mixed it directly into the venison.
Brown the venison first, then mix in the sauce and cook until it evaporates and everything is coated.
To round it out I served it with pickled red cabbage, pickled ginger, and a drizzle sauce.
This one's definitely getting made again.
Korean-Style Venison Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Sauce
To Serve
Method
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a wok or large pan over high heat until smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat.
- Add the ground venison and spread it out in a single layer. Let it sit and develop a hard sear before breaking it up. Brown the meat well.
- Lower the heat to medium and pour in the sauce. Stir to combine and cook until the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the meat is glazed and sticky.
- Serve over steamed rice with pickled red cabbage, pickled ginger, and sliced spring onions.
Chef's Notes
The Asian pear acts as a natural tenderizer and adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce. If you can't find Asian pear, a regular pear or even a small grated apple works as a substitute. The key to this dish is getting a proper sear on the venison before adding the sauce. Don't rush the browning step. You want color and crust on the meat, not steamed grey mince. If your venison is on the leaner side, add an extra splash of sesame oil at the end for richness.