Jumulleok

Jumulleok (Korean Sesame-Pepper Beef Skewers)

Jumulleok is a classic Korean beef skewer, traditionally grilled over charcoal and finished with a generous shower of crushed sesame seeds, cracked black pepper, and raw garlic. The marinade is kept deliberately simple so the beef — usually thinly sliced ribeye or top sirloin — can char at the edges while staying juicy inside.

Prep

35 min

Cook

10 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1½ lb) beef ribeye or top sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain, about 3 mm thick; freeze 20 min to slice cleanly
• •4 tbsp soy sauce
• •2 tbsp sugar, granulated
• •2 tbsp rice wine (cheongju or mirin)
• •1 tbsp gochujang, Korean red chile paste; omit for a more traditional sweet-savory version
• •1 tbsp sesame oil, toasted
• •1 tbsp mirin
• •1 tsp salt
• •8 cloves garlic, 3 finely grated for the marinade, 5 sliced thin for serving
• •1 tsp ginger, freshly grated
• •200 g (7 oz) yellow onion, cut into 3 cm wedges
• •8 g (¼ oz) scallion
• •30 g (¼ cup) toasted sesame seeds, crushed in a mortar or sealed bag
• •2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper, freshly cracked, not fine ground
• •1 pinch salt, to sprinkle after grilling
• •1 tbsp neutral oil

Steps

1. 1 Soak 12–16 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from catching fire on the grill.
2. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, mirin, sesame oil, salt, gochujang (if using), the grated garlic, and the grated ginger until the sugar dissolves.
3. 3 Fold the thinly sliced beef into the marinade, then add the onion wedges and scallion pieces. Massage gently so every slice is coated. Marinate 20–30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 12 hours refrigerated (cover and bring back to room temperature 20 minutes before cooking).
4. 4 Thread the marinated beef onto the soaked skewers, weaving each slice accordion-style so it lies flat — about 3–4 slices per skewer. Alternate with onion wedges if you like.
5. 5 Prepare a charcoal grill to high heat (around 230 °C / 450 °F at the grate). For a home kitchen substitute, heat a heavy cast-iron grill pan over high heat until smoking and brush lightly with neutral oil. Preheat the broiler as a second option.
6. 6 Lay the skewers on the hottest part of the grill. Cook 1 minute undisturbed to develop a sear, then turn and cook 1 more minute on the second side. The exterior should be deep brown with charred edges, and the interior just cooked through — the target internal temperature for medium is 63 °C (145 °F); for medium-well, 71 °C (160 °F). Total cooking time is 2–3 minutes per batch; do not overcook or the thin slices will toughen.
7. 7 Transfer the cooked skewers to a warm platter. While they are still glistening, immediately sprinkle the crushed toasted sesame seeds, the cracked black pepper, and a pinch of fine salt evenly over both sides so the heat toasts the seeds slightly and they stick to the meat.
8. 8 Serve hot, accompanied by the sliced raw garlic, a small dish of fine salt for dipping the garlic, ssamjang or gireum-jang (sesame-sauce) for the beef, steamed rice, and crisp lettuce or perilla leaves for wrapping.
9. 9 Safety note: confirm the deepest part of the thickest slice reaches at least 63 °C (145 °F) for medium, with a 3-minute rest, before serving. If you prefer fully done beef, take it to 71 °C (160 °F).