Lee Jung Hyun shares holiday recipes: from beef jeon to yuja-infused galbi-jjim

Lee Jung Hyun showcased a variety of holiday recipes recreating her mother's authentic flavors for Chuseok. In the video released through the KBS WORLD TV program 'Fun-Staurant,' she prepared a diverse range of Korean cuisine, including beef top blade jeon, galbi-tang, and braised short ribs (galbi-jjim) made with yuja syrup.

The secret to beef top blade jeon: sugar and glutinous rice flour

For the first dish, Lee prepared beef jeon using top blade beef. She shared a professional tip: cutting the central tendon with the back of a knife prevents the meat from shrinking and ensures tenderness. Her use of sugar during the marinating process was particularly notable; Lee explained that sugar acts as a tenderizer to soften the meat while enhancing its umami flavor.

To prepare the egg wash, she added sesame oil to eliminate any meat odors and enhance the aroma. She also opted for glutinous rice flour instead of wheat flour to maintain a chewy texture even after cooling and to aid digestion. To ensure an even coating, she used a sieve to apply the flour. During cooking, she used avocado oil, utilizing its high smoke point to prevent burning.

Assorted jeon and kkoji-jeon inspired by her mother

The next course featured assorted jeon, a dish that evoked memories of her mother. Lee used pork collar, tofu, carrots, onions, and green onions. She emphasized the importance of sincerity, noting that her mother always minced ingredients by hand rather than using a machine. She also shared that mixing a bit of egg wash into the batter was a signature technique passed down from her mother. The finished jeon displayed a vibrant array of colors on the griddle.

For shaping, she used perilla leaves to create triangular perilla leaf jeon. For the kkoji-jeon (skewered jeon), she increased convenience by layering the ingredients like a pancake or scallion pancake instead of skewering them individually. This method resulted in nine pieces of kkoji-jeon.

Yuja-infused galbi-jjim and clear galbi-tang

An unusual ingredient appeared in the galbi dishes, the centerpiece of holiday meals. When preparing galbi-tang, Lee maintained a tender texture by blanching the meat in hot water to remove impurities and odors before rinsing it in cold water. The broth for the galbi-tang was kept clear and simple, seasoned only with salt and soup soy sauce.

The galbi-jjim was uniquely characterized by the use of yuja syrup. Lee explained that using yuja syrup provides the necessary flavor without the need to grind fresh fruit. She added depth to the dish by using the broth from the previously made galbi-tang to cook the galbi-jjim. Finally, she concluded the meal by serving 'egg-wrapped seaweed kimbap' made with the remaining egg wash.