Medicated Korean Beef Shank: A June Lee Collab
Growing up, my mom used to make this thinly sliced beef shank boiled in Chinese aromatics. It was a simple side dish that she'd bring to all the potlucks with friends and family. This dish is served chilled so the flavor of the delicate seasoning in the beef is amplified.
I was surprised to discover the Korean cross-over of this dish when June Lee, the Chief Administrative Officer of Skunk Factory, came over for our potluck brunch. While the Chinese version is served without a dipping sauce, her Korean rendition comes with a flavorful doenjang. June also serves it with a bright salad on top with a dressing made from rice vinegar and yuzu preserves.
We devoured the dish instantly and went back to plate a second after a few dabs. It makes for excellent munchies!
Medicated Korean Beef Shank
Serves 4-6
Ingredients for Beef Shank:
• 1 beef shank, approx 2lb
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 dried chili peppers
• 10 peppercorns
• 3 slices of ginger
• Water
Ingredients for Doenjang Sauce:
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 5 Tbsp gochugaru
• 5 Tbsp doenjang
• 2 Tbsp Kewpie mayo
• 2 Tbsp medicated grapeseed oil
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add soy sauce, chili peppers, peppercorns, and ginger.
2. Tying the beef shank gives gives it a uniform shape and helps the meat cook evenly. Using cotton string, run each length of string under the meat and bring the two loose ends together and make a tight knot. Continue to tie each piece of string at 5cm intervals along the beef shank.
3. Boil the beef shank in the water for exactly 1 hour.
4. Remove beef shank from water and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. To make the sauce, heat 1/2 cup grapeseed oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and green onions and immediately turn the heat to low. Once the garlic turns light brown, turn the heat off and remove from stovetop. Add gochugaru into the oil and let cool to room temperature.
6. Once cooled, strain the oil into a bowl and discard the solids. Add doenjang, Kewpie mayo, and medicated grapeseed oil into the bowl and whisk until uniform. You can add a Tbsp of water if the sauce is too thick to drizzle.
7. To serve, thinly slice and assemble the chilled beef shank and drizzle the doenjang sauce over the meat. Serve with a fresh salad.
