I was only vaguely familiar with meat jun until my sister sent me a text with a photo of her “plate lunch” which featured this dish. That piqued my interest enough for me to delve into the subject of this simple and homey dish. I discovered that meat jun was introduced by a local Korean restaurant on Oahu many years ago. It is a type of jeon, which refers to a Korean method of preparing seasoned meat or vegetables that are coated in flour and egg wash before being fried. As is the case with many cross-cultural dishes in Hawaii, meat jun is a local island style invention.
The meat for this recipe should be very thin so that it cooks quickly. Many use top sirloin or ribeye. I went to my local Safeway and asked the butcher if he would slice some filet mignon for me. He asked me what I was going to make with it and when I told him, he said “that is going to be the best meat jun ever!” As it turned out, filet mignon worked well because it’s so tender.
Because the meat is sliced thin, it only needs to marinate in the sauce for 20 minutes before it is coated with flour, dipped in egg and pan-fried.
Meat jun is delicious served with rice and crunchy cucumbers or kimchi. Leftovers hold up very well and need just a quick zap in the microwave to warm the meat up a bit. The dipping sauce is excellent drizzled over the meat. It has a good dose of vinegar which adds a nice zing to the soy marinated meat. This unassuming dish is most addicting.
- For meat jun:
- ½ pound thinly sliced filet mignon
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
- ½ cup flour
- 3 large eggs
- canola oil for frying
- For dipping sauce:
- 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped green onion
- ½ teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
- ½ - 1 teaspoon gochugaru
- Combine soy sauce through sesame seeds in a medium sized bowl. Add meat slices and marinate for 20 minutes (up to 30 minutes for thicker slices). Place marinated slices of meat on paper towels to drain slightly, just before you are ready to cook them (discard sauce).
- Meanwhile, combine dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Place flour in a wide shallow bowl, and whisk eggs in another wide shallow bowl. Heat ¼ cup of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat (enough to generously coat the entire bottom of the pan). Use tongs to dip meat in the flour making sure to cover each piece well. Gently shake off any extra flour, then dip meat in whisked eggs making sure to coat well. Place on a piece of foil. Continue with all of the meat slices. Working in batches, fry meat until golden brown, about 45-60 seconds per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Continue cooking the rest of the meat. Slice meat into strips about 1-inch wide. Arrange meat on platter and serve with dipping sauce on the side.
