Sanjeok is a traditional holiday dish that is a variety of jeok -- skewered meat and vegetables. Unlike some other jeok varieties, sanjeok is not egg- or flour-battered. The ingredients are skewered and then grilled or pan-fried. Depending on the main ingredients used, they are called gogi (beef) sanjeok, songi (mushrooms) sanjeok, pa (scallions) sanjeok, etc. Tteok (rice cake) sanjeok is made with garaetteok, which is unsweetened rice cake that’s shaped like a long cylinder.

Garaetteok is abundant this time of year because it is used to make tteokguk (soup made with rice cakes), a must-have New Year dish. I used regular size garaetteok in this recipe. A day old rice cakes will be best for cutting. You can also use thinner ones that are made for tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes) if you’d like. 

This colorful, nutritionally well-balanced skewers will be a great addition to your Lunar New Year table! Makes 8 skewers.

Ingredients:

For the rice cake:

2 pieces garaetteok (sufficient for 4 7-centimeter long pieces)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

For the beef:

100 grams lean beef (tenderloin, sirloin, eye round)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice wine

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Pinch pepper

For the vegetables:

4 king trumpet mushrooms (saesongi beoseot)

2 small carrots

4 scallions

Salt and pepper

Oil for pan frying

Sesame seeds or chopped pine nuts for garnish -- optional

8 skewers (about 10-centimeter long)

Cut each rice cake crosswise into about 7-centimeter long pieces. Then cut each piece into quarters. (Day old rice cake is best for cutting.) Boil the rice cake in a small pot of boiling water until softened. Drain and mix with the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Cut the beef into about 8-centimeter long strips to create 8 pieces. (Cut the beef longer than the rice cake because the beef will shrink more.) Combine with the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, minced garlic, and pepper. Marinate for about 30 minutes.

Cut the mushrooms lengthwise into about 8-centimeter long strips. Blanch them in salted boiling water just to soften, about a minute. Drain.

Cut the carrots into two 7-centimeter long pieces. Then cut each one into quarters.

Cut the green parts of scallions into eight 7-centimeter long pieces.

Thread the rice cake, meat and vegetables onto the skewers.

Heat a large pan with a little bit of oil over medium low heat. Place the skewers in the pan. Cook each side until the meat and vegetables are cooked through and slightly caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes each side.

For more recipes visit www.koreanbapsang.com.

By Ro Hyo-sun