Jangjorim (Soy-Braised Beef)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart heavy pot with lid
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Tongs or slotted spoon
• •Small skewer or cake tester for checking tenderness
• •1.5-liter glass storage container with lid

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the beef

   Cut the beef into 2-inch blocks, keeping the long fibers running lengthwise where you can see them. Soak the pieces in cold water for 20 minutes, changing the water once, then drain and rinse. This is not to wash away flavor. It clears the blood proteins that cloud the broth and turn harsh in a long soy braise.

   If your market wrapped the beef very clean and time is short, rinse it well and skip the soak. Then skim the pot carefully in the next step. That is a safe corner to cut.
2. 2

   Simmer gently

   Put the beef and 6 cups water in a 4-quart pot. Bring it just to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming the foam for 5 minutes. Add the onion, scallion, crushed garlic, ginger, and peppercorns. Lower the heat, set the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer slides into the beef with only a little resistance. A hard boil tightens lean meat. Patience keeps it tender.

   A pressure cooker is an honest modern vessel here: cook the beef with the water and aromatics for 18 minutes on high pressure, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Do the soy braise uncovered on the stove, as written.
3. 3

   Strain and tear

   Lift the beef into a bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain the broth and measure out 3 cups; if you are short, add water to make the measure. When the beef is cool enough to handle, tear it with the grain into pencil-thick strips, 2 to 3 inches long. Knife-cut beef goes neat and dry. Hand-torn beef catches the soy in its fibers, which is why this dish asks for your hands.

4. 4

   Start the braise

   Rinse the pot clean. Add the torn beef, 3 cups strained broth, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, and 8 peeled garlic cloves. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Taste the broth after 10 minutes. It should be saltier than soup because it has to season rice and eggs, but it should not make you wince. If it is too strong, add 1/4 cup water. If it tastes flat, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

5. 5

   Add the eggs

   Add the peeled quail eggs and nudge them under the liquid. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, rolling them once or twice so they stain evenly. The edges should turn tea-brown. Keep the simmer low, because hard boiling makes the whites rubbery and can split them.

   Starting with raw quail eggs? Simmer them for 4 minutes from the boil, chill them in cold water, crack them all over, roll them under your palm, and peel from the wide end.
6. 6

   Finish with peppers

   Prick each pepper once with a knife tip so the soy can enter without bursting it. Add the kkwari-gochu or shishitos and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, just until they wrinkle and deepen in color. Turn off the heat. Do not cook them until they collapse. Their slight green bitterness is what cuts the soy and sugar.

7. 7

   Cool and store

   Let the pot stand for 20 minutes, then transfer everything to a clean glass container with the meat and eggs covered by the braising liquid. Cool it promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Chill at least 4 hours, and overnight is better. Serve cold or at room temperature with rice, spooning a little soy broth over the bowl. Use clean chopsticks each time and keep the solids under the liquid.

Chef Tips

• •Choose lean, long-fibered beef. Eye of round is clean and economical, brisket flat gives more flavor, and shank gives a little collagen. Avoid heavily marbled short rib here, because chilled fat coats the soy broth and makes the eggs dull.
• •Packaged peeled quail eggs are a useful shortcut if the ingredient list is simple. Rinse them under warm water and simmer them long enough in the soy to lose the packaged taste. The corner you cannot cut is tearing the beef with the grain.
• •Kkwari-gochu, the wrinkled Korean pepper, is best when thin-skinned and bright. Shishitos stand in well. If your peppers are thick, tired, or out of season, leave them out and add a few more whole garlic cloves instead. Cook the month you're standing in.
• •Jangjorim changes overnight. If it tastes too salty the next day, add 1/2 cup water or unsalted beef broth and simmer 5 minutes. If it tastes weak, simmer uncovered 5 to 8 minutes to concentrate it. Measure the correction and write it down.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef can be simmered, cooled, and shredded up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate the strained broth separately, then skim off any fat before the soy braise.
• •Finished jangjorim tastes better after at least 4 hours in the refrigerator and best the next day. Store it covered for up to 5 days, keeping the meat and eggs under the liquid.
• •For lunch boxes, pack jangjorim cold beside cooled rice or in a separate small container. Do not leave it at room temperature all morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 165g)