Bulgogi

Method

1. slice10 min
   half-frozen beef, paper thin, across the grain
   the firmed ribeye shaved as thin as the knife allows — the 30-minute freeze is the whole trick; at full softness this cut is unsliceable at home, and thickness is bulgogi's one unforgivable error: the marinade and the flash-cook are both calibrated to near-transparency
2. marinate60 min
   everything but the oil and seeds, 1 hour to overnight
   beef + grated pear + soy + brown sugar + sesame oil + garlic + ginger + half the scallions + pepper — the pear is the signature and the tenderizer: its enzymes work the thin slices in an hour, and its sweetness is why bulgogi's sugar never reads as candy
3. sear8 min
   hottest pan, batches, spread and barely moved
   the beef in a single scattered layer per batch, left to catch charred edges before one toss — thin marinated beef cooks in ninety seconds and crowds into a braise in three; the char is the tabletop grill translated, and the sugar in the marinade is what makes it possible
4. top3 min
   seeds + remaining scallions, with rice and lettuce
   eaten Korean-style: a lettuce leaf, a little rice, beef, a dab of gochujang-sesame if using, folded and eaten in one bite — the wrap service is not garnish theater, it is how the dish balances rich against fresh, and the table builds its own