A classic Korean side dish: Braised Beef with soy sauce. Also known as Jangjorim, my Korean grandma’s recipe is made extra special with Shishito peppers and quail eggs. Salty, filling, beefy — you’ll reach for this dish again and again.
**Thank you Spring Creek Quail Farms for sponsoring this post! Opinions are my own.**
What is Jangjorim?
Jangjorim is a popular Korean dish that’s frequently enjoyed at home. Best described as salty, soy sauce-braised beef strips, it’s an economical and delicious way to make a piece of meat stretch.
In this simple preparation, lean beef flank is cooked in soy sauce until tender. The braised beef strips soak up every bit of that soy sauce flavor! As do the tiny quail eggs that make it even more filling and substantial. The shishito peppers add freshness and peppery bite.
Jang Jorim is served with rice. In fact, it’s often called a “rice thief” because the salty flavor requires so many servings of rice!
Whenever I visit my Korean grandmother, there’s always a Tupperware container filled with Jangjorim in the fridge. I grew up eating this classic Korean side dish. Salty. Beefy. Filling. Doesn’t spoil easily. Tastes good with rice. Always available. Even if there’s nothing else to eat in the house, there’s always Jangjorim!
Hearty, delicious, and filling — this simple dish represents Korean home cooking at its best! Incredibly delicious and so good to eat!
Ingredients:
- Beef. Lean flank steak is preferred because it’s easy to shred and the flavor is good.
- Soy sauce. Do not use the low sodium kind! Tastes flat and strangely metallic when cooked for a long time. I’ve used soy sauce brands Yamasa, Sempio, and Kikkoman all with good results.
- Mirin. Sweet Korean/Japanese cooking wine. Adds flavor and removes any gamy smells.
- Sugar. A little sweetness to balance out the soy sauce.
- Water. For a braising liquid that’s not too salty.
- Shishito Peppers. Add body, depth, and freshness to the beef and braising liquid. Can be subbed with jalapenos. Full of vitamin C, they are my favorite part of this Korean salty beef dish.
- Quail Eggs. Typically, hard-boiled eggs are included. But I prefer quail eggs as their tiny size work better to soak all that rich braising liquid! For this recipe, I used Spring Creek Quail Eggs which come from a local Ontario farm. I’ve been buying and loving their quail eggs for years!
Instructions:
- Boil flank steak in water until tender.
- Shred beef into bite-sized strips.
- Return beef to the cooking pot. Braise with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and simmer.
- Add peppers and eggs. Add shishito peppers and cook until deflated. Add hard boiled quail eggs.
- Enjoy. Serve cold or room temperature with rice.
PRO Tips:
- Serve in lunch boxes. Jang jorim is an excellent dish to pack for lunch, as it doesn’t spoil easily and tastes good cold or room temperature. Make sure to pack with lots of rice.
- Braise until tender. Check for tenderness during the cooking process. The beef should not be too tough or chewy.
- Peel Quail Eggs. Crack the shell first to make peeling easier. There is a clear protein that holds the shell together. Grab a bit of the protein when peeling to make shell removal easier.
How do you eat Jangjorim?
Jangjorim is best served with rice, as it’s very salty. Commonly served as a side dish — rather than a main dish — it’s best enjoyed with various other dishes to mitigate the strong flavor. Koreans eat a little bit of Jangjorim at a time.
To store, keep in a Tupperware container in the fridge. To enjoy, serve cold with rice and other side dishes. Kimchi tastes especially good because that spicy, acidic flavor cuts through the salty, beefy flavor.
Sometimes, people spoon the Jang jorim sauce over rice. Or reserve the leftover sauce as a braising liquid for additional hard boiled eggs. The beefy, salty sauce is so tasty!
Serve with:
- Oi Muchim [Cucumber Salad]
- Braised Lotus Root
- Soy Sauce Quail Eggs
- Korean Potato Salad
- Dubu Jorim [Braised Tofu
- Gyeran Jjim (Steamed Egg)
FAQ:
Why quail eggs?
I prefer quail eggs as they soak up all that braised soy sauce beef flavor. They also contain the perfect yolk to egg white ratio. So good! If you can’t find them, use regular eggs instead.
Where can I find quail eggs?
Quail eggs are available at most grocery stores. I’ve seen quail eggs at Walmart, President’s Choice, No Frills, and Metro. I’ve also seen them at Asian grocery stores (T&T, Foody World, Galleria), Whole Foods, and Costco! They come in packs of 18.
Do I really need to add the Shishito Peppers?
Peppers are a classic way to flavor this classic Korean side dish. They do not make the dish spicy. Instead, they add body and depth, while also making sure the resulting dish is not “too beefy” at the end. Honestly, they are my favorite part and I often eat them first.
More recipes with beef:
Korean Soy Sauce Braised Beef with Quail Eggs (Jangjorim)
Equipment
- Stock pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank beef steak
- 2 cups water
- 18 quail eggs
- 8 oz/227 g Shishito peppers (about 2 cups)
Braising Liquid
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (not the low sodium kind)
- 1/4 cup Mirin
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Cut 1 lb flank steak into two equal halves, against the grain. Each half should be 2-3 inches long. Cover with cold water (about 2 cups) and boil for 30 minutes (covered) until a fork slides through with some resistance. The meat should not be bouncy or hard. But it shouldn't be completely tender either.
- Meanwhile, hard boil the quail eggs: cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for two minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to an ice water bath. Chill for 5 minutes. Peel eggs and set aside.
- When cool enough to handle, cut or shred beef into bite-sized strips. (The traditional way is to shred the beef by hand but my Halmoni cuts hers into neat strips, which is the way I like to do it as well. Cutting instead of hand shredding avoids stringy pieces of beef.)
- Add braising liquid: soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Simmer (uncovered) for another 15 minutes until the beef is dark and there is just a little bit of resistance when you slide in a fork. Half the original liquid should be evaporated by now.
- Add shishito peppers and simmer (covered) until soft and deflated, another 10-15 minutes. By now, the beef should be tender with very little resistance. The liquid should be at 20% of the original volume.
- Add hard boiled quail eggs and cook another 5-10 minutes, making sure to spoon the braising liquid over the eggs.
- Serve warm, cold, or room temperature — preferably with rice and other banchan. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
*Thanks to Spring Creek Quail Farms for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.*
