Korean Steak

Every once in a while I have to take a break from holiday baking to cook some real food for the family. This is a variation of a recipe that I found on allrecipes.com, and I've been anxious to try it because I really like Korean beef. The marinade has a longer list of ingredients, but it really does come together quickly.

I've read before that adding Asian pear to the marinade helps soften and tenderize the beef, but I'd never before seen an Asian pear in my grocery store. Luckily, kiwi can be used as a substitute (but just use a very small amount, like a fraction of a teaspoon). However, when I went to my supermarket to grab a kiwi, what should I find next to the kiwifruit, but Asian pears! (Actually, the sticker on the fruit said "Apple Pear," but the sign said "Asian pear.") I just grated up enough of the peeled fruit to make 1/4 cup of mush to add to my marinade.

I made a few other changes, as well, and I really liked how this turned out. My only complaint is that I typically like more vegetables in my stir-fry, so I think I'd add some next time. I served this with fried rice, in the meantime, and ended up sort of stirring it all together like a Korean beef-fried rice.

Korean Steak
Serves 4-6

Marinade:
1/4 cup shredded Asian pear
2 pounds thinly sliced steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I had to leave these out)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
5 tablespoons mirin
1/2 teaspoon sriracha

Stir-fry:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced lengthwise

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a large zip-top bag. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but not more than 24 hours.

2. Before cooking, sprinkle meat with sesame oil.

3. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir-fry onion and beef (discarding the marinade) until beef is no longer pink, about 5-10 minutes.