Ttukbaegi bulgogi[Bulgogi in an Earthenware Pot]

Ttukbaegi-bulgogi (clay pot Bulgogi) is made by adding water and cooking bulgogi in a clay pot. The meat becomes tender and releases succulent juices into the water, resulting in a gravy which is great for mixing with rice. This dish is a good alternative for single diners who crave bulgogi but lack the company. Ttukbaegi Straight onto the Table Ttukbaegi (clay pot) is a convenient cooking vessel. It does not break even when placed over a direct flame and can be set on the table even when it is hot. Once heated, the pot retains heat and keeps the food warm for the duration of the meal. Many dishes are served in a clay pot, including seolleongtang (ox bone soup), galbitang (short rib soup), doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste pot stew), kimchi-jjigae (kimchi pot stew), and yukgaejang (spicy beef and scallion soup). However, ttukbaegi-bulgogi is the only dish that has ‘clay pot’ in its name. Bulgogi Ideal for Individual Dining Up until about two to three decades ago, bulgogi was consumed like a hotpot dish. Back then, the bulgogi grill was in a concave shape unlike the convex ones used these days. Vegetables were placed in the hollowed middle and marinated meat placed alongside the higher rim. The meat broth flowed down into the center and cooked the vegetables. The resulting gravy, rich with the flavor of bulgogi, was delicious when mixed with rice. With the passage of time, however, people began to prefer the meat over the rice-gravy mix. Restaurants complied with the demand, and introduced convex grills to cook bulgogi. But people started to miss the combination of bulgogi gravy and rice, and so the idea of cooking bulgogi in a clay pot emerged. Ttukbaegi-bulgogi is popular, especially among lone diners as well as children and elders who like the soft texture of rice mixed moistened with gravy. The ttukbaegi, a traditional Korean clay pot, is still in wide use even today. Varying in size and shape, they are perfect for holding hot foods like jjigae (stew) in the wintertime, since they are slow to cool once heated.

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