Cook’s Illustrated has come under fire after an Instagram post showing what supposedly are “staples” in the Korean dish,
The post, which came with a string of related hashtags, drew comments claiming that the magazine had no idea what actually went with bulgogi, a traditional dish made of thinly-sliced, marinated beef.
According to Cook’s Illustrated, their bulgogi recipe comes with “three mainstays of Korean cuisine,” namely kimchi, gochujang (red chili paste) and doenjang (soybean paste).
“Our bulgogi recipe features three mainstays of Korean cuisine that are worth seeking out. Have you ever using [sic] any of these in your cooking?”
Bulgogi is traditionally prepared by grilling or pan-frying, using meat marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, Asian pear (or red apple), garlic, ginger, ground black pepper and sesame oil, according to My Korean Kitchen.
Instead of being “staples” in the dish itself, kimchi may be used as a side dish, while gochujang and doenjang may be used as side condiments.
Aside from the questionable use of such “staples” for bulgogi, the post sparked outrage for using a Japanese kimchi brand.
Netizens slammed Cook’s Illustrated:
One comment may have summed up everyone’s thoughts:
