Image by hannaone: Jumulleok Dinner
Image by hannaone: Jumulleok Dinner
Image by hannaone: Jumulleok on the Grill
Image by hannaone: Seasoned Raw Beef for Jumulleok
Article by Gil "hannaone" © Copyright 2007-2026. All rights reserved.
주물럭 | Jumulleok
Jumulleok is a simply prepared short cut steak (any thin cut meat may be used) that is massaged with sesame oil and garlic, then lightly seasoned with salt and pepper before either grilling or frying. The meat can be beef, pork 돼지주물럭 (dwaeji jumulleok), or duck 오리 주물럭 (Ori-jumulleok)
Ingredients
2 pounds short cut steak (four equal portions)
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 small green onions (white portion only)
Accompaniments
4 cloves garlic
8 medium mushrooms
3 tablespoons Ssamjang
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
Dipping sauce:
2 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 small green onions (green portion only)
2 Teaspoon rice wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1 dash toasted sesame seed
Directions
Rinse the meat in cold water to remove any surface blood.
Lightly salt the meat on both sides, then let stand for 5 minutes.
Cut the green from the green onions then fine chop (mince) the white portion. Reserve the green for the dipping sauce.
Mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, minced garlic and onion, and pepper in a bowl large enough to hold the meat.
With a knife tip or fork poke very shallow holes in the meat.
Place the meat in the bowl and firmly massage the oil mixture into the meat.
Remove the meat from the bowl and place on a plate or tray. Let stand at room temperature for fifteen minutes, then either begin cooking or wrap tightly with a plastic cling wrap or place into a ziploc style bag (removing as much air as possible) and refrigerate over night.
Dipping Sauce
Slice the green portion of the spring onion into thin rings.
Mix all dipping sauce ingredient in a small bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
Final
Grill (or fry) over high heat until the meat reaches your desired level of "Done". A light char is desirable.
Baste the mushrooms with sesame oil and grill with the meat.
Serve Ssam style with sliced garlic, lettuce, Ssamjang, and dipping sauce.
Jumulleok (주물럭) is a South Korean grilled meat dish made by massaging thin‑sliced beef—often short steak or boneless chuck rib—or other meats with sesame oil, garlic, salt, and pepper just before cooking. The quick hand‑mixing gives the meat a fresh, savory flavor that highlights its natural taste.
1970s Creation Story: One popular origin tale traces jumulleok to a halmoni who ran a small restaurant in Mapo, Seoul. When she ran out of pre‑seasoned meat, she improvised by rubbing sesame oil and simple seasonings directly into thin slices of beef. The result became a hit, inspiring a style defined by its immediacy and simplicity.
Preparation: Unlike bulgogi, which marinates in a sweet soy‑based sauce, jumulleok is seasoned moments before grilling. The meat is massaged with sesame oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, then cooked right away over high heat, preserving a clean, beef‑forward flavor.
Variations: The classic version stays savory and minimal, but modern adaptations have expanded the category. Dwaeji jumulleok uses spicy gochujang‑based seasoning on pork, while ori jumulleok applies a similar spicy treatment to duck. Despite these differences, all versions keep the defining “rubbed by hand” technique