I loved this dish as a kid. My favourite way to eat it way back then and now is to mix it with a bowl of rice. I can eat a whole meal with this 1 side dish. Another moreish childhood taste.
Jang Jorim means 'Stewed over a long time'. It is made with a cheaper cut of meat, brisket. So it makes sense that to make it lovely and tender it is simmered over a few hours. Many recipes for Jang Jorim include sugar resulting in a sweet soy flavour but my mom's recipe is not sweet (no sugar!) and in my opinion has a cleaner taste.
What you need:
Brisket: 450-500g
Ginger: 1 thumb size (8-10 g)
Garlic: 8 cloves
Soy Sauce: 5 Tbsp
Water: 1.5 liters
*Eggs: 3-4 optional
*Chili: 1-2 optional
Key Ratios:
Brisket weight 1: Water 3
Brisket weight 100g = 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce. If you prefer less salt, then round down for example for 450 g meat add 4 Tbsp instead of 5. If you like a little saltier you can add another Tbsp but I recommend starting with 4 or 5 Tbsp and tasting before adding.
Cooking Tools: 1 medium pot
What to do:
Chop the Brisket into 2-3 inch blocks, cutting across the grain. It is very important to cut against the grain. Peel the Ginger and set aside. Put the blocks of Brisket into a pot and submerge with water. In my case this was 500ml. Bring to a boil and the pot will foam- remove this scum and any oil/fat. Then add the block of Ginger and the remaining Water (1 liter). Bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat. Let simmer until the Water reduces to 50%, to around 750 ml. This took around 2 hours on medium heat. If you water reduces too fast, heat is probably a bit too high so add more water and turn down the heat. There is a balance between having enough broth & cooking time for the brisket so it is soft. Very occassionally (just once or twice) skim any remaining fat bubbles from the pot.
Whilst the Brisket is simmering, prepare the other ingredients. Peel the Garlic and if you are adding Chilis, prepare them. If you are adding boiled Eggs- boil for 11 min from cold water.
Once the water level has reduced- remove the Brisket from the pot and let it cool for 20 min. Once it's not too hot, pull the Brisket apart along the grain which should be quite easy. Do not wait until its completely cooled or it will be difficult to pull apart. Remove any remaining fat as you do this. It is up to you how chunky you want the peices. I tend to rip them about 1/2 cm - 1 cm wide so they are bite size and easier to mix with rice.
Now it's time to add the Garlic, Soy Sauce and optional ingredients like Chili and boiled Eggs.
If you are adding boiled Eggs- peel and set aside with the torn Brisket. I love adding Eggs as it softens the whole dish making it almost creamier. You can add as many Eggs as you like but they should be largely submerged in the soy sauce.
Chili- If you want a spice kick, you can add chili's whole or trim away the end and deseed before adding. Some people like to slice diagonally. Really up to you!
So now we are at the point that the water has reduced and you have a nice beef broth. Add all the torn Brisket, cloves of Garlic, Soy Sauce and Chilis.
Bring the pot to a boil and reduce back to simmering for 15-20 more minutes. You are done!
The Brisket should be nice and soft and all the ingredients brewed into the broth. Taste. The beef broth should taste a little salty as it accompanies rice. If you want it a little saltier, then add a bit more Soy Sauce.
If you are having it with a bowl of rice, I recommend adding the brisket and boiled egg into the rice. Scoop the soy broth liberally onto the rice to taste.
Otherwise enjoy as a side dish!
Enjoy!
