Raw meat. It’s not common, but neither is it unique to Korea since there are few parts of the world where it’s not enjoyed in some shape or form. Beef tartare dishes abound in Europe and have never lost their popularity. We’ve all heard the old joke of the unwitting tourist in France ordering steak tartare for the first time only to be horrified upon being served raw beef.
That said, I can safely choose Yukhoe as my definite favorite in this food-family. Thin strips of raw beef tossed with soy sauce, sesame oil and pear juice, topped with pine nuts and slices of pear. As well as being ridiculously easy to make, it captures the real flavors and taste of Korea and has a distinct personality.
The thing that stands out in Yukhoe is the pear. The sweetness and texture are perfectly matched with the other ingredients and give the dish an identity of its own. And the addition of Gochujang (red pepper paste) gives it that unforgettable Korean heat.
There are several opinions on which cut of beef to use, with rump steak being the most commonly found, but if you decide to make this dish at home, the choice is yours. Tenderloin will give you a more delicate and softer texture, whereas sirloin, especially a well-marbled Hanwoo steak, has layers of fat running through the meat which provides a more assertive texture and taste.
Making this dish is easy as long as you make sure that your beef is fresh. As some people put the beef in the freezer for a while to make it easier to cut, this isn’t necessary unless you are writing a cookbook and need the dish to look picture-perfect.
I once tried a variant of Yukhoe in a small restaurant close to Gyeongdong Market. As I recall, it took a lot of soju to digest the 1 cm square pieces of raw liver. Whatever the final cut, consider having a bottle of soju handy as the perfect complement for this tasty dish.
Yukhoe Recipe
Ingredients
150 g beef, your choice
1 quail egg, raw
1 tsp toasted pine nuts
Crisp lettuce hearts
1 Korean pear (배, bae) peeled and cut into approx 3 cm pieces
Sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 clove finely minced garlic
1 tbsp finely diced green onion
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp gochujang, more if you like it spicy
Directions
Cut the beef into 3 cm strips the size of matchsticks and toss with all the sauce ingredients.
On the serving plate arrange the crisp lettuce hearts, put the pear strips on top and finally add the beef mixture on top of that. Separate the egg yolk from the quail egg and put on top, Enjoy!
If you take our suggestion on eating your home-made Yukhoe together with Soju, check out our article on making your own Soju Cocktail.