Ingredients:

  • 300g beef sirloin, very thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked Korean short-grain rice, warm
  • 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
  • 1 sheet dried seaweed (Nori/Gim), crushed
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
  • 1 Persian cucumber, sliced into rounds
  • 0.5 tsp salt for sweating
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Add the thinly sliced sirloin and marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, toss the cucumber slices with salt to draw out moisture.
  2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer and sear for 2–3 minutes until the edges are caramelized. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped green onions.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm short-grain rice, 1 tsp sesame oil, sesame seeds, and crushed seaweed. Using hands, compress small handfuls of rice into firm, golf-ball-sized spheres.
  4. Drain excess water from the cucumbers and toss with rice vinegar. Arrange the beef bulgogi, rice balls, and cucumbers into bento box compartments.