Soft Donggeurangttaeng (Pan-Fried Meat Patties) with Tofu
A holiday pancake dish made by squeezing the moisture out of tofu and kneading it thoroughly with meat to pan-fry soft, juicy patties.
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 →
These donggeurangttaeng bring out a soft, juicy texture by squeezing the water out of tofu and thoroughly kneading the pork mixture until sticky. Shaped thick and pan-fried with the lid on, they cook evenly all the way through. With their rich, savory flavor, they are perfect for holiday tables.
- Servings
- about 4–5 servingsOriginal: 32 patties, 4.5 cm across
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pork300 g
- Tofu300 g
- Onion1/2
- Carrot1/3
- Large green onion (daepa)
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
- Red chili pepper1
- Flour2/3 cup
- Egg wash2
Seasoning
- Egg yolk2
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1 tsp
- Sugar1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Potato starch5 tbsp
- You can buy ground pork. Lean cuts work according to your preference, but for a soft and juicy texture, meat with some fat makes them nutty and delicious.
- Press the pork with paper towels to remove any blood so it does not have an unpleasant smell.
- If the vegetables are cut too large, the patties will crumble easily, so mince them as finely as possible. Then lightly press with paper towels to remove any moisture released while mincing.
- Place the tofu in a cotton cloth and squeeze out the water firmly. Since tofu contains the most moisture of all the ingredients, make sure to remove it thoroughly.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
I had pork belly, so I trimmed off some fat and minced it.
You can buy ground pork. Lean cuts work according to your preference, but for a soft and juicy texture, meat with some fat makes them nutty and delicious.
The secondary ingredients are tofu, onion, carrot, Cheongyang chili pepper, red chili pepper, large green onion, and 2 egg yolks.
Prep the ingredients
Press the pork with paper towels to remove any blood so it does not have an unpleasant smell.
Finely mince all the vegetables with a knife or in a food chopper.
If the vegetables are cut too large, the patties will crumble easily, so make them as fine as possible.
Vegetables release moisture as they are minced, so press them lightly with paper towels to remove it.
Place the tofu in a cotton cloth and squeeze out the water firmly.
Since tofu holds the most moisture among the ingredients, make sure to remove it well.
I added 2 extra yolks to 2 eggs to give the egg wash a vivid yellow color.
Make the meat mixture
In a bowl, add the minced pork, minced vegetables, and tofu.
Add the seasonings.
1 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, and a little ground black pepper.
Add just the 2 egg yolks and 5 tbsp potato starch...
Knead vigorously by hand until the mixture turns sticky.
You can also mix garlic chives or sweet potato glass noodles into this mixture to use as dumpling filling.
First, pull off a small piece of the mixture and pan-fry it to test the seasoning.
Adjust any seasoning as needed, then shape into patties.
Today I shaped them thick and fairly large, about 4.5 cm across, and got 32 pieces.
If you make them smaller, this mixture makes more than 40.
Hold flour in a sieve and gently shake it to coat the front and back of the patties.
Dip the patties right into the egg wash and pan-fry.
Pan-fry
Add a generous amount of oil to a heated pan. Once you have placed all the patties in, reduce the heat to medium-low and fry.
After flipping them over...
Since they are made thick, cover with a lid for about 2 minutes so the center cooks through thoroughly.
Open the lid; if the patties have puffed up slightly, the inside is well cooked.
Pan-fry until golden brown so the moisture evaporates and they turn crisp.
Finish
The donggeurangttaeng are done.
These large, thick donggeurangttaeng are juicy and tender inside, packed with rich savory flavor.
Eating them right after frying makes them so delicious.
Ppunwife's tips
- To shape donggeurangttaeng easily without the mixture becoming soggy, thoroughly remove moisture from the tofu, vegetables, and meat.
- Knead the mixture thoroughly so the patties do not crumble and stay soft and juicy.
- If the vegetables are cut too large, the patties will crumble easily, so make them as fine as possible.
- First, take a small portion of the mixture and fry it to check whether it is seasoned properly.
- Since they are shaped thick, cover with a lid for about 2 minutes so the center cooks through thoroughly. When you open the lid, if the patty puffs up in the center, the inside is well cooked.
FAQ
How do I keep the mixture from turning soggy or crumbling?
Squeeze the water out of the tofu firmly with a cotton cloth, pat dry the moisture from the vegetables and blood from the meat, and knead thoroughly until sticky so the patties will not crumble.
How can I tell if thick patties are cooked all the way through?
Cover the pan with a lid while cooking; when you open the lid and the center of the patty has puffed up, it is cooked through.
How else can I use leftover patty mixture in other dishes?
You can stuff it into perilla leaves or chili peppers and pan-fry them, or mix in garlic chives and sweet potato glass noodles to use as dumpling filling.
Which cut of pork is best to use?
Lean cuts work well, but if you want soft, juicy, and richly flavorful patties, choosing a cut with some fat mixed in is best.
