Yukjeon(육전) is a type of jeon (pan-fried battered food) that’s made with thinly sliced beef. It’s atraditional holiday or special occasiondish. A Korean feast always includes a variety of jeon dishes. Yukjeon is commonly pan-fried in egg batter. But, in this recipe, I simply dredged them in sweet rice flour to create a thin skin. I hadthis no-egg version as part of a course meal ata couple of restaurants in Korea last fall. I thought it was a nice change from the typical egg-battered ones. I think the beef flavor stands out better without the egg.
You can use pre-sliced bulgogi meat, but make sure it’s not too thin or fatty. I marinated the beef slices in a soy-based sauce, but you can simply sprinkle with salt and pepper to season. It’s an excellent first course dish if you’re planning on a romantic Korean meal for the valentine’s day. Or enjoy as part of your Lunar New Year feast that will be February 19 this year.
Ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced beef any tender cut such as loin and rib eye
- 1/2 cup sweet rice flour chapssal garu, 찹쌀가루
- oil for pan-frying
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
Beef marinade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- pinch pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Hot mustard sauce (겨자장)
- 1 teaspoon hot mustard gyeoja, 겨자
- 1 teaspoon hot water
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Thinly slice the beef if it’s not pre-cut. Partially freeze the meat for about an hour to firm it up for easier slicing.
- Lightly season both sides with the marinade, and let it stand for 20 minutes.
- Dredge both sides of the beef slice in sweet rice flour, one piece at a time. Let it stand for a few minutes until the flour absorbs the marinade. Then, dredge again in the sweet rice flour to create a nice coating.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. Place in the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, adding more oil if needed, until lightly golden.
- Repeat until all the beef slices are pan fried. Serve warm with a dipping sauce.
For the hot mustard sauce
- Mix the hot mustard in hot water. Let it stand for a few minutes for the flavor to develop. This step is very important, or the mustard sauce will taste bitter.
- Mix int the other ingredients, and serve as a dipping sauce.
