Beef in Korean food
Beef (쇠고기)
Beef hides in broth more often than in meat dishes. Vegetable and seafood dishes can also contain beef stock or beef seasoning.
Where it hides in Korean food
Beef dasida, the most common seasoning in Korea, is a broth seasoning made with beef. A broth can taste of beef even when no beef is visible.
The broth of cold noodle soup (mul naengmyeon) is often beef stock, topped with slices of boiled beef. Spicy mixed cold noodles are often served with that broth on the side.
Seaweed soup, eaten on birthdays, is made with beef or fish stock, and the rice cake soup of the Lunar New Year is often made with a beef broth. Milky seolleongtang is made by simmering beef bones for a long time.
Jeonju bibimbap rice can be cooked in beef shank broth. Even when the bowl looks like vegetables, the rice itself can contain beef.
Dishes that contain it
Usually in it
- BulgogiThe standard cut is thinly sliced sirloin or ribeye. When a menu just says bulgogi, beef is what it usually means.
- Galbi (grilled short ribs)Galbi originally meant beef ribs, but pork ribs are now often called just galbi or charcoal galbi as well. Ask which meat it is.
- Naengmyeon (cold noodles)The cold broth is commonly beef stock, and store-bought naengmyeon broth is also usually flavored with beef. The spicy mixed version often comes with that broth on the side or has it mixed into the sauce.
Sometimes in it
- BibimbapSliced or minced meat is a common topping and is usually beef, but chicken, seafood or tofu can take its place. Some places serve yak-gochujang, gochujang stir-fried with minced beef, as the sauce, so beef can be in the sauce even without the topping.
- Budae-jjigae (army base stew)Ground beef is listed among the extra ingredients, and the broth is often a meat or bone stock rather than plain water.
- GimbapSeasoned beef or bulgogi is a common filling, especially in rolls sold as beef gimbap.
- Haemul-pajeon (seafood scallion pancake)Dongnae pajeon from Busan adds beef along with the seafood, so a seafood pancake can carry meat as well.
- JapchaeThin strips of beef are the usual meat, stir-fried and tossed in with the noodles, though pork is used in some kitchens.
- Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew)Beef appears both as a meat option and as an alternative broth, so a seafood-free pot can still carry it. Some recipes also add beef dasida stock powder to flavor the broth.
- TteokbokkiSome named versions, such as brisket or mala tteokbokki, cook thin beef slices in with the rice cakes, and some recipes add beef dasida stock powder to the sauce.
Based on the 14 dishes this site has researched. Dishes not listed here can contain it too.