Korean seasoned raw beef: silky hand-cut strips of lean tenderloin dressed in sesame oil, soy, garlic and sugar, fanned around a heap of julienned Korean pear and crowned with a glossy raw egg yolk. Unlike minced French tartare, the beef is sliced into delicate ribbons that catch the sweet-savory dressing.
A dish of the Three Kingdoms era refined in Joseon royal banquets when cattle slaughter was tightly restricted; today a signature of Korean butcher-shop restaurants and the Jeonju region.
Cool, slippery and tender, the beef dissolves with a deep sesame-soy savoriness cut by sweet, floral crunches of pear. The raw yolk, once broken and stirred through, coats everything in a rich, custardy gloss that makes each bite plush and luxurious.
Partial freezing firms the muscle so it can be sliced into clean ribbons rather than tearing, while the sugar and pear's enzymes and moisture lightly tenderize and brighten the raw beef. Sesame oil coats the strips to carry aroma and prevent oxidation graying.
Variations
Hamheung-style with extra chili, yukhoe-bibimbap over rice, yukhoe served with sliced raw liver and tripe, modern versions with quail egg or fresh wasabi.
On the Palate
Where Yukhoe sits in the Korean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 2
How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 130 min
Chill a lean cut of beef tenderloin in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm but not frozen.
Watch outChill the beef just until firm at the edges but not frozen solid — that firmness lets you slice clean ribbons instead of tearing ragged strips.
- 28 min
Slice the partially frozen beef thinly against the grain, then cut into matchstick strips.
Watch outSlice across the grain, then into fine matchsticks — cut with the grain and the strips turn stringy and tough to chew.
- 34 min
Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, sugar, salt and pepper into a dressing.
- 43 min
Toss the beef strips gently with the dressing until evenly coated.
Watch outToss gently just to coat — the strips should glisten with the sesame dressing, not get mashed; handle it rough and the ribbons break.
- 54 min
Peel and julienne a Korean pear and arrange it as a bed on the plate.
- 62 min
Mound the seasoned beef over the pear and smooth into a neat dome.
- 71 min
Make a small well on top and slide in a fresh raw egg yolk.
- 82 min
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and shredded pine nuts; serve immediately.
