Beef Bulgogi

What is it?

Sold frozen in 16-ounce packages, this beef is sliced very thin and marinated before freezing, so it’s meant to go straight from the freezer to a skillet or microwave. The marinade uses soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, and onion, plus apple, pear, and pineapple juices for sweetness and tenderizing. When heated, the sugars can caramelize at the edges while the meat cooks through quickly. Compared with other Trader Joe’s frozen meals, it’s more of a single-component protein than a full bowl or plate. Bulgogi is the Korean style of marinated beef, and here the fruit-forward marinade does most of the work.