Korean

Thin-Sliced Grilled Brisket (Chadol Baegi)

Complexity
basic
Serves
4
Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Technique
Grill
Cut
Brisket
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Ingredients

  • 600 g (1⅓ lb) beef brisket, in one piece (or buy it pre-sliced, 2 mm / 1/16 in thick, at a Korean market)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Lettuce leaves (red leaf or butter), for wrapping
  • Steamed rice, to serve
  • Sliced garlic and green chillies, to serve

Dipping sauce

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Ssamjang

  • 2 tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean paste, or 1½ tbsp red miso; sweeter and milder)
  • 1 tbsp gochujang
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Steps

  1. Mix the dipping-sauce ingredients in a small dish. In another, stir together the ssamjang ingredients until smooth.
  2. Freeze the brisket for 1 hour until firm but not solid, then slice it 2 mm (1/16 in) thick across the grain with a sharp knife. Pre-sliced frozen beef should thaw about 15 minutes, until the slices separate without tearing.
  3. Toss the beef with the sesame oil and salt. The slices are so thin that no longer marinade is needed.
  4. Heat a cast-iron grill pan, skillet or tabletop grill over high heat until a drop of water spits, about 3 minutes.
  5. Grill the beef in a single layer, working in batches, for 30 to 45 seconds per side, until the edges curl and brown. Do not crowd the pan or the beef will steam.
  6. Move each batch to a plate and keep going. Grill the garlic slices and chillies in the leftover fat for 1 minute, until golden.
  7. Serve right away. Wrap a slice of beef, a spoon of rice, a dab of ssamjang and a garlic slice in a lettuce leaf, or dip the beef in the sesame-salt sauce.

Notes

  • Slicing: partly frozen brisket slices much thinner with a sharp knife; cut against the grain so every bite is tender.
  • Other cuts: beef plate or boneless short rib sliced the same way also work.
  • Serving: pair with a bowl of doenjang jjigae (soybean stew) for a full Korean table.
  • Make ahead: make both sauces up to 3 days ahead, and slice the brisket when firm from the freezer. Cook just before eating.
  • Pair with: a quick cucumber salad dressed with sesame oil, vinegar and gochugaru, or a few spoonfuls of kimchi.