Meat Jun

(Korean Meat Pancakes)

May: National Beef Month

Our favorite Korean restaurant back in Hawaii is Yummy Korean BBQ.  It is informal, fast and relatively cheap for huge portions—and it lives up to its name! Islander and her ohana (family) order Korean plate lunches at the food court (Navy Exchange Pearl Harbor, Don Quijote/Daiei Waipahu, Ala Moana and Pearlridge centers) where Yummy Korean BBQ is located. As creatures of habit, Islander always gets kalbi, Highander orders bulgogi, Mommy and Daddy share a combo plate with barbecue beef and chicken and Islander’s brother gets meat jun.

Meat jun in Hawaii is basically soegogi-jeon in Korean. The pancakes are thinly sliced marinated pieces of meat, usually beef, dipped in flour and eggs and fried in a pan. It is a very flavorful food and we sometimes cook this for Islander’s brother when he visits us. It reminds us of the local ethnic cuisine from home as well as our good times together as ohana.

Make yummy memories—and meat jun—for the family during National Beef Month!

Recipe

(Adapted from Foodland)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of beef ribeye or top sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
  • ¾ cup soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 8 eggs, beaten
  • flour
  • oil for frying

Directions

Slice the beef across the grain. With a meat mallet, pound it down to 1/8-inch thin. In a bowl, pour the soy sauce.

Mix in the minced garlic. Stir in the sugar and water. Add the thin slices of meat.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. In a flat pan, add the flour. Take a slice of meat and let the marinade drip back into its bowl. Dredge it on both sides with flour, shaking off excess. Coat in egg mixture. Fry in oil in a skillet, browning both sides. Drain on paper towel. Slice and serve hot with dipping sauce (see Notes) and steamed rice.

Notes

  • Dipping sauce is optional. To make it, combine 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and a pinch of red or black pepper in a measuring cup. Mix and dish out on dipping saucers.
  • Search our blog for other beef recipes.