Skip to content

Tteokgalbi

Grilled short rib patties

떡갈비: minced beef and pork rib patties, grilled and glazed with sweet soy

Tteokgalbi is rib meat chopped finely, pressed back into neat slabs and grilled, so it's soft enough to eat without struggling with a bone. Two places in South Jeolla claim it: Damyang, the bamboo county, where all-beef patties come with rice steamed in bamboo tubes, and Gwangju's Songjeong district, whose restaurant street near the railway station mixes beef with pork. This home version uses minced beef and pork, seasoned with soy, garlic and pear, then brushed with a soy and honey glaze as it cooks. Serve with rice, lettuce and a few banchan; leftovers are good cold in a lunchbox. Chef's tip: slap the mince against the bowl for a few minutes; it turns sticky and the patties hold together on the grill without any breadcrumbs.
Total time
60 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
4
One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4

For the patties

For the glaze

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey or rice syrup
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 clove garlicfinely grated

To serve

Shop this recipe on Amazon

Fresh ingredients (6)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/8 done
  1. Step 1: Put 14 oz beef mince and 7 oz pork mince on a board and chop through them with a heavy knife for a couple of minutes, folding and chopping again. This loosens the mince and gives a finer, springier patty.

    3 min
  2. Step 2: Tip the meat into a bowl with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp Asian pear or apple, 4 cloves garlic, 2 spring onions, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and ¼ tsp black pepper.

  3. Step 3: Mix with your hand, then pick up the mixture and throw it back into the bowl 20 to 30 times. Common mistake: just stirring it together. Without this kneading and slapping the patties crumble when you turn them; the mix is ready when it feels sticky and clings to your fingers.

    5 min
  4. Step 4: Divide into 8 portions. Shape each into a flat oval patty about 1.5 cm thick, and press a shallow dip into the centre with your thumb so it stays flat as it shrinks. Chill on a plate for 15 minutes to firm up.

    20 min
  5. Step 5: Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp honey or rice syrup, 2 tbsp water and 1 clove garlic in a small bowl.

  6. Step 6: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan or griddle over a medium heat. Fry the patties for 4 minutes, until well browned underneath, then turn and fry for 3 to 4 minutes more.

    8 min
  7. Step 7: Lower the heat, brush the tops with glaze, turn and brush again. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning every 30 seconds, until the glaze is sticky and shiny but not burnt. The centre should reach 160°F/160 °F, with no pink left.

    3 min
  8. Step 8: Rest the patties for 3 minutes, scatter with 1 tbsp pine nuts and serve with rice and 8 lettuce leaves for wrapping.

    3 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
430 kcal
Protein
31 g
Carbs
14 g
Fat
28 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does tteokgalbi take?
About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of soy sauce?
Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Sign in to rate and review this recipe.

Pork souvlaki

This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.

32 minGreekMeat
by KrazyBadal 1 views

Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach

Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.

225 minGermanMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 1 views

Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy

Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.

105 minIndianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 1 views