How Do You Eat Eobokjaengban? Meat First, Then Broth
Eobokjaengban is a Pyeongyang dish of Hanwoo (Korean beef) cuts, mushrooms and vegetables on a wide brass tray, simmered in broth at your table. Rather than boiling the tender meat for long, you lift out meat and vegetables as the broth rises, then finish with the broth itself.
Eobokjaengban is a Pyeongyang dish of Hanwoo (Korean beef) cuts, mushrooms and vegetables laid out on a wide brass tray and simmered in broth at your table. Rather than boiling the already tender meat for long, you lift the meat and vegetables out as the broth comes up, and finish with the broth itself. If this is your first Eobokjaengban with us, we suggest tasting the meat and vegetables first, then the broth as it deepens.
Start with the Meat
Once the broth begins to simmer, start with the meat arranged across the tray.
Our Eobokjaengban brings together Hanwoo shank and head meat, ox tongue, tripe, udder, large intestine and spleen, along with pan-fried lung. Each cut differs a little in flavor, texture and aroma, so there is pleasure in comparing them piece by piece. As the broth comes up, try the lean cuts first, the shank and head meat, with chili soy sauce, and let the offal cuts simmer a while longer. Any piece you would like warmer and softer can be dipped briefly in the simmering broth.
Add the Mushrooms and Vegetables
Once you have had a few of the lean cuts, add the mushrooms and vegetables. The aroma drawn from the meat meets the vegetables, and the broth deepens beyond where it started. Eobokjaengban is less a dish that tastes the same from first bite to last than one that shifts a little while the tray simmers.
Taste the Broth Once It Has Deepened
When you have had your fill of the meat, mushrooms and vegetables, ladle up some broth. After everything has come together on one tray, the broth tastes different from the moment it was poured. We top it up as it runs low so it stays hot.
What Goes Well with Eobokjaengban?
Eobokjaengban is a dish made for sharing over a drink. Sharing it with something that suits the meat and then closing the meal with Pyeongyang Naengmyeon is one way to spend an evening here. That order, drinks and meat first and noodles last, is Seonju Humyeon (a drink first, then noodles). A cold, clear Pyeongyang Naengmyeon after the warm tray lets you taste two very different broths and the buckwheat between them.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many people is Eobokjaengban meant for?
- The small tray suits 2 to 3 people and the large tray 3 to 4. Choose according to how much else you are ordering.
- Which cuts go into Eobokjaengban?
- Hanwoo shank and head meat, ox tongue, tripe, udder, large intestine and spleen, together with pan-fried lung.
- Which branches serve Eobokjaengban?
- All four: Gyodae Main Branch, Hongdae Branch, Shinsegae Main Store and Samseong Branch.
References
- Seogwanmyeonog menu stories, Eobokjaengban (/en/story)
- Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, entry for Eobokjaengban
