[Food] Jangjorim (Soy sauce braised meat, 장조림)

[Food]

[Food] Jangjorim (Soy sauce braised meat, 장조림)

Beef jangjorim garnished with garlic and gguari pepper (shishito pepper)

It is true that many non-Koreans who are fond of Korean gourmet know about main, heavy, meaty and typical Korean foods such as Bulgogi, Galbi, Kimchi and Bibimbab. However, I would say these are not frequently neither commonly served menus on the everyday Korean table because Koreans usually eat these foods on special occasions (except Kimchi, which is a typical side dish). Then, what do Koreans usually eat for their daily meal? I have been introducing many Korean dishes and side dishes. Today's menu is one of the Korean's favorite :) Jangjorim!

Jangjorim placed in the middle of a Korean meal

Jangjorim's 'Jang' means 'Sauce' and 'Jorim' means 'Braise', so it means 'Braised in sauce'. What do Koreans braise in which sauce? They usually braise meat (beef and pork) in sweet soy sauce :) The jangjorim recipe is recorded in a 15th century Korean book. Korean culinary experts estimate that the recipe of braising in sauce initially came to the Korean peninsula from China.

In the past, people didn't have freezers in the time of the Chosun dynasty (obviously because this period was far before the invention of the freezer) but Koreans wanted to store meat for a long time in jars and pots. So they invented recipes that could preserve meat and egg for a long time using salt. Jangjorim is one of the results :)

The recipe is not very hard, but it takes a long time.

1. If using beef or pork, put it into the water to remove the blood
2. Boil or steam meat with rice wine and a laurel leaf (no need to boil if using egg)
3. Put meat into a mixed soy sauce (soy sauce, sugar, sliced ginger and plum juice ), and braise for 15 minutes
4. Put quail eggs (if desired) and garlic, then heat it till it boils.

5. Tear the meat apart into small pieces (so you can eat it easily), then boil them once again in the sauce with sesames.

Usually, jangjorim is stored in a plastic box to be stored in a freezer, so it can be enjoyed longer

Egg jangjorim is not as popular as beef, but is still a welcomed side dish

Quail egg jangjorim, cheap and tasty jangjorim

Beef jangjorim. The 'eye of round' is usually used for it.

I love eating jangjorim with hot rice and kimchi :) chewy beef or pork that is well braised in soy sauce gives you a sweet and salty flavor every time you chew it :) I think I will cook jangjorim tonight. I miss its chewy and salty flavor.

Bon Appétit!

[Food] Dalgyal-mari (달걀말이, Korean Omelet)

[Food]

[Food] Dalgyal-mari (달걀말이, Korean Omelet)

Dalgyal-mary (Korean Omelet)

Korean Omelet is the first dish I learned to cook in my life. It is very simple and delicious....but it doesn't look so. Korean omelet is different from western and Japanese omelet. It is in a roll with a slightly salty and plain egg taste. Its taste differs according to the ingredients you put in it.

I remember the times when I cooked dalgyal-mari as a 9-year-old boy. I liked cooking eggs after breaking their yolks. I heated them on a pan and cooked them till they were as crispy as a biscuit, but I often failed as they somewhat looked like charcoal because I wanted them to be really crispy with a thick brown color.

I have enjoyed gourmet since I was a young boy. I really liked the mild oily and deep-fried, crisp-like texture of roasted omelet with a little ketchup on it and a bowl of rice and kimchi.

A typical Korean meal with dalgyal-mari, radish kimchi and dried-pollack soup

My mom was usually busy with her friends and work when I was in elementary school. So she let me use the delivery food service or she left some rice and side dishes for my afternoon meal. That's when I started to cook, if my memory serves me well.

Dalgyal-mari is a very easy and typical Korean meal for every meal time, as other countries cook eggs into an omelet and into many varieties of dishes. In Korea, we also make many varieties of Korean omelet by putting in various ingredients such as dried laver, sliced cheese, cooked roe, spring onion, carrot, leek etc.

A Korean omelet with dried-laver in it

A Korean omelet with chopped spring onion in it

The recipe is very simple, easier than making western omelet. You just break egg yolks then heat them onto a pan into a flat-paper shape. When the bottom half of the egg is cooked, roll the egg into a long cylindrical shape with layers in it by turning it. It sounds very easy but if you try...it's not. You need to practice it to make a perfectly shaped dalgyal-mari by using enough oil, fire and turner skill.

Dalgyal-mari with ketchup on top. Ketchup is an egg dish's best friend in Korea.

Now? Well, I'm good at cooking so making an omelet is a piece of cake :) I use some milk to remove the fish-like smell from the egg and add fermented-salted shrimp to give it a natural salty flavor. I'm sure you also have your own secret recipe for omelet :) Please share them as a reply, if you do.



Bon Appétit!