Perilla Leaf wrapped Beef Jeon - 깻잎 고기전

No!! It's raining again. Stupid DC weather. Bubs and I are supposed to go on the embassy world tour, mostly to eat free food experience different cultures through food. Hopefully, DC doesn't make walking outside a pain the the butt.


Sometimes it pays to listen in class. Today, we had a Gastrointestinal pathophysiology lecture and our professor actually mentioned something interesting. Usually this is never isn't the case... But did you know....


Factoid: You swallow 15 ml of air into your stomach with EACH swallow
The average person swallows more than 2000 times a day. If you don't belch, you'd bloat up like a hot air balloon! For babies you have to burp them or they get fussy, fart everywhere and get explosive diarrhea (haha). Then we all grow up and properly develop our abdominal muscles, so they contract and expel gastric air out into the esophagus (food pipe). The rumbling burping sound is then caused by the vibration of the upper esophageal sphincter as gas passes through it. 


Also, did you know in some cows that fail to burp, it can be extremely dangerous? There is such a high pressure buildup of gases in their stomach, they need to insert a rubber hose down their pipe to expel it. In some severe cases, punching their sides open!


I say let it rip. And in the words of Shrek... "Better out than in!"


It's approaching Mother's day and maybe this year I'll remember to thank my mum for doing everything for me (oops). I was just reminded of all the times she made these Gogi Jeon (meat patties) for me for lunch, picnic or for snacking. These are sooo good dipped in ketchup.


Perilla and Beef Jeon - 깻잎 고기전

Ingredients
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 onion
2 stalks spring onion
2 tsp ginger minced
1.5 tbsp garlic minced
2 tsp serrano chilies minced

1lb ground beef
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp soysauce or Yundoo
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp korean chili powder

2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
20 perilla leaves

Chop up finely all the veggies in the first list. Mince up your ginger and garlic.

In a large bowl, put your ground beef and all the seasoning in to it (2nd list of ingredients). Add in all your chopped veggies too. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix everything really well.

Wash your perilla leaves and dry them with a paper towel or wait until it's dry.

Place the 1/4cup of flour in a shallow dish and scramble the eggs in another dish.

Flour both side of the leaf and flatten a ball of the meat within the leaf. The flour helps the meat stick to the inside of the leaf.

Fold the leaf in half and dip it in the egg. The flour also helps the egg stick onto the outside of the leaf.

When you're making a batch, you can flour and stuff all the leaves first and then dip it in the egg one at a time when you're about to fry them.

Turn the heat to medium low and put a good amount of oil in the pan. When the oil is heated, you can add you egg dipped perilla meat jeons.

Each side takes a while because you want to make sure the meat is fully cooked inside. Maybe around 8 mins each side. It really depends on how thick the meat patty is inside.

We also made mini meat jeons made the same way except no leaves. Just make small medallions 1 inch in diameter, roll it in the flour, dip into the egg and fry it up.











Serve it with some ketchup! Trust me, it's really good.