Tender Donggeurangttaeng (Pan-Fried Meat Patties)
A holiday meat patty pancake made tender and free of gamey odors using minced aromatics and tofu.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This pan-fried dish is made by thoroughly patting the blood off pork, kneading it with well-drained tofu and finely minced vegetables, and shaping it into patties. Adding Cheongyang chili pepper cuts through the richness, and this single meat mixture works wonderfully to stuff perilla leaf pancakes or chili pepper pancakes as well.
- Servings
- about 4–5 servings
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pork300 g
- Tofu150 g
- Minced onion5 tbsp
- Minced carrot3 tbsp
- Minced white part of large green onion (daepa)3 tbsp
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2 (minced)
- Red chili pepper1 (minced)
Chili pepper pancakes or perilla leaf pancakes
- Cucumber chili pepper or green chili pepper5
- Perilla leaves6 leaves
- Flour2/3 cup
- Egg3
Seasoning
- Egg yolk1
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1/2 tsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Ground toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Potato starch1–2 tbsp
- You can mix beef and pork in equal parts, or use more of whichever meat you prefer.
- You can adjust the amount of tofu to about 1/2 or 2/3 the amount of meat to suit your taste.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Press the pork firmly with paper towels to remove the blood thoroughly so there is no gamey odor.
Next are the aromatic vegetables that remove meat odors.
Mince them all finely; if they are not minced finely, the ingredients will poke out when shaping, won't hold together well, and will crumble.
Knead the mixture
In a bowl, add the meat, firmly squeezed tofu, and all the seasonings, then knead well.
Grinding toasted sesame seeds into the seasoning boosts the savory flavor of the meat patties.
Pinch off a bit of dough to make one, and if it feels too wet...
Shape the patties
Add 1 to 2 tbsp of potato starch and mix to get a dough consistency that holds together well.
Also, if you are curious about the seasoning, pan-fry just one to taste before shaping the rest in earnest, and add more seasoning if needed.
If you simply chop sweet potato glass noodles and add them to this mixture, it becomes mandu filling.
You can use it when making mandu filling too.
Before shaping the donggeurangttaeng, dust a cutting board or plate with flour first.
Placing them on top as you make them one by one keeps them from sticking and coats them with just the right amount of flour, which is very convenient.
Once they are all shaped, lightly dust the tops with flour, coat in egg wash, and pan-fry.
If you make only patties, it yields about 24, but I made 12 and used the rest of the mixture to stuff chili peppers and perilla leaves.
Split the chili peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and lightly dust the insides and outsides with flour. Do the same with the perilla leaves.
Add a suitable amount of filling to the chili peppers and perilla leaves. For the perilla leaves, just fill half and fold over.
Lightly dust with flour over the top again, then...
Coat evenly with egg wash.
I added 1 extra egg yolk to 3 eggs and passed it through a sieve.
The color is pretty, and it doesn't clump together, making it easy to pan-fry.
Pan-fry
Heat a generous amount of oil in a heated pan and arrange them with space in between so they don't stick to each other.
Because they contain meat, they need to cook through to the center, so pan-fry them on both sides over medium to low heat until nicely browned.
Pan-fry the chili pepper pancakes and perilla leaf pancakes the same way.
Finish
Along with the meat patties, I ended up with a bountiful spread including chili pepper pancakes and perilla leaf pancakes.
I tasted a chili pepper pancake while plating, and it is really delicious.
The seasoning is mild and not salty, and with the savory flavor and juices of the meat, it is truly tender.
The round patties go well with ketchup, and the chili pepper and perilla leaf pancakes seem suited to seasoned soy sauce with vinegar.
It is a sight that really makes you crave makgeolli.
Ppunwife's tips
- Press the pork firmly with paper towels to remove the blood thoroughly so there is no gamey odor.
- If ingredients are not minced finely, they will poke out when shaping, won't hold together well, and will crumble.
- Dust a cutting board or plate with flour before shaping the donggeurangttaeng. Placing them on top as you make them one by one keeps them from sticking and coats them with just the right amount of flour, which is very convenient.
- Because they contain meat, they need to cook through to the center, so pan-fry them on both sides over medium to low heat until nicely browned.
FAQ
How should I prep the meat to remove any gamey odor?
Thoroughly pat the blood off the meat using paper towels, and finely mince aromatic vegetables like garlic, ginger, and large green onion into the mixture to reduce odors.
Why do the vegetables need to be finely minced?
If the vegetables are cut too coarse, the pieces will poke out when shaping, won't hold together easily, and may crumble.
What should I do if the dough is too wet and difficult to shape?
Add about 1 to 2 tbsp of potato starch and mix, and the dough will hold together well.
Can I use a different meat instead of pork?
You can prepare beef alongside it and mix them half-and-half, or adjust the meat ratio to suit your preference.
