Recipe: Korean Beef

A hearty and flavorful Asian-inspired meal that is both kid-friendly and adult-approved … and on the table in thirty minutes.

I heard the clinking of their forks hitting their dinner plates from where I was standing in the kitchen. I was just plating up my own dinner and they had already dug in.

“Mom, this is SO good.”

Words that Moms worldwide long to hear, but don’t hear nearly often enough.

And I was surprised.

Happily so, of course, but surprised just the same.

Because dinner included a little bit of ginger, and while it’s not an offensive taste by any stretch of the imagination, it does have a bit of a distinct flavor, and is not always kid-approved.

Dinner was Korean Beef, served over rice (although since I’m currently not eating carbs, mine was served straight up). The recipe came by way of a facebook poll. I had a package of ground beef defrosting in the refrigerator and turned to social media to ask for everyone’s favorite ways to use it.

This Korean Beef was a suggestion from the blog Lizzy Writes, and, except for the scallions, I had all the other ingredients on hand already. Bonus. Twenty minutes start to finish, which means it’s the perfect for dinner weeknight cooking when time is short and the “when’s dinner” wails are long.

The recipe is very simple and really just a matter of browning the ground beef, mixing in a few other pantry staples, serving over cooked white rice, and topping with a few chopped scallions. Completely dummy-proof, pretty to look at, filling, and a thumbs up from everyone.

And really, what more do you need from a recipe?

The flavor combination reminds me a bit of Bulgogi, which the kids also love. Tender bits of beef complemented by the soft white rice, and a full-on, packed-with-flavor sauce. And the scallions? Well, they’re just pretty to look at it, and we all know that we feast with our eyes first.

Don’t miss this one.

Korean Beef
Recipe courtesy of Lizzy Writes

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (or use ginger paste)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown the ground beef with the garlic in the sesame oil. Drain the fat and add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to allow flavors to marry. Serve over steamed white rice and top with chopped green onions.