Tteokgalbi Rolls

Seasoned vegetables and sweet potato noodles encased by a flavorful meat wrapper.

Tteokgalbi Rolls

Makes 16 rolls

This is my version of a banchan from the ready-made section of the grocery store near our house. Claude went out to the store while I was in a Zoom class and came back with what the store called yachae kogi. Simply translated it means vegetable meat, though it could have a more colloquial meaning that I don’t know. The rolls of tender flavorful ground meat were wrapped around a mixture of finely chopped carrots, tofu and dangmyeon noodles. This unexpected little snack was super tasty and after eating one straight from the container, I pulled out some premade gochujang-based yangnyeom to dip them in to switch up the flavor a little. The rolls themselves were sweet and savory and when dipped into the yangnyeom the additional sweet heat of gochujang was sublime. I immediately set off to make my own version.

My version is based on Korean tteokgalbi (which I thought the meat tasted of). In its most traditional state, tteokgalbi is a dish of seasoned short ribs, chopped yet still on the bone and cooked on the bone over a flame. It was originally made for the king who, etiquette dictated should not have to pick up a bone to eat meat. Modern versions are made of ground meat and shaped into what look like hamburger patties, grilled and served. This is where I started when flavoring the meat. For the filling, I eliminated the tofu and replaced it with cabbage. Sauteed with a little cumin and turmeric, the flavors complement each other beautifully. For the yangnyeom, I wanted to make a sauce that was a little more intense than the prepackaged sauce I pulled out of the fridge, yet retained some of the same flavors.

“Recipe Tips:

1. You can grill these rolls also but, be careful as the high sugar content may cause the rolls to burn.”

Ingredients

Tteokgalbi

681g (1.5 lbs) ground beef

8g (1.5 t) ginger, minced

7 garlic cloves, minced

3 T soy sauce

1.5 T mirin

1.5 T rice syrup or honey

5 t glutinous rice flour

4 t sesame oil

2 t honey

1.25 t ground black pepper

0.75 t kosher salt 

Filling

40g (small handful) dangmyeon

1.5 t sesame oil

70g (0.50 c) onion, minced

70g (0.75 c) cabbage, minced

50g (0.50 c) carrot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

0.75 t ground black pepper

0.50 t kosher salt

0.25 t ground cumin

0.25 t ground turmeric 

Caramelized Honey Yangnyeom

3 T honey

1.5 T soju

2 T gochujang

1.5 T ketchup

1 T soy sauce

1 T water

2 t rice vinegar

0.50 t Asian mustard

0.50 t gochugaru – optional

1/8 t ground cinnamon

2 garlic cloves, minced

Recipe Know-how

Tteokgalbi

1.      In a medium mixing bowl combine the tteokgalbi ingredients mixing well.

• Continue to mix stirring vigorously with your hand in one direction for 90 seconds.

• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Make filling while the meat chills.

Filling

2.      Cook the dangmyeon according to package directions.

• Rinse the cooked noodles under cold running water.

• Drain noodles very well.

• Place in a bowl and using kitchen scissors, chop the noodles into about 0.50in lengths.

• Reserve.

3.      In a medium nonstick saute pan, heat the sesame oil over high.

• Add the vegetables and cook stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.

• Add the reserved dangmyeon and spices.

• Continue to cook stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes.

• Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

• Cool completely.

Make the yangnyeom while the filling cools.

Yangnyeom

4.      In a medium pot place the honey.

• Over medium-high heat, cook the honey swirling the pan occasionally until caramelized, about 2 – 4 minutes.

• Off heat, carefully add the soju.

The honey will splatter some when adding the soju so be careful.

• Cook swirling the pan for 1 – 2 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.

• Add remaining ingredients except the garlic stirring well.

• Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

• Remove from heat and add the garlic.

• Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

• Reserve for finishing.

Filling and cooking

5.      Divide the meat mixture into 16 equal-sized portions.

• Using damp hands, flatten a portion of meat into an oval in your hand.

• Add 1 – 1.5 t of the filling into the center in a line.

• Carefully fold the meat on the sides over the filling to seal it in.

Try not to let the filling touch the edges of the meat as the oil may make it difficult to close the roll.

• Tossing from hand to hand, form the meat into an oval.

• Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining meat mixture and filling until it has all been used.

As your hands become tacky, re-dampen them to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.

6.      Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high with 1 T of vegetable oil.

• Place the rolls into the pan and reduce the heat to medium.

• Cook the rolls for 2 minutes.

• Turn the rolls to the opposite side and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Monitor the pan temperature closely while cooking as the high sugar content can cause the meat to burn easily.

• Turn onto each of the edges and cook each side for 2 minutes longer.

• Remove cooked rolls to a plate.

7.      Serve with yangnyeom for dipping.