Pressure Cooker Jangjorim (Soy Braised Beef) with Eggs

This Pressure Cooker Jangjorim is an adapted recipe of my classic Korean soy-braised beef side dish that’s delicious warm or cold and perfect for dosirak (lunchboxes). This recipe is so simple yet just as tasty as the regular recipe.

Jangjorim is a Korean soy braised beef side dish that has always been my favorite side dish in my lunchboxes as a kid in Korea but now, in this time of SIP, this pressure cooker Jangjorim has become a staple menu item. Having to come up with menu ideas every day, this salty, sweet and savory beef banchan has been a lifesaver for me and my family.

We often make rice bowls with it – with some egg and sometimes even butter added on top! YUM!! It’s great for breakfast or lunch when you really don’t want to cook something. You can also make bibim noodles with it – just add some sesame oil, sesame seeds and some green onions..

So these days, I make Janjgorim in big batches in my Instant Pot (here’s my stovetop version) and store it in my kimchi fridge for longer storage. In addition to the fact that you can store this for days and that it’s yummy just straight out of the fridge, it’s a side dish that just keeps on giving.. haha.. you can do much more with it than just having it as banchan.

And DON’T THROW AWAY leftover Jangjorim Ganjang (soy sauce) but utilize it in your cooking!

Chef’s Tips for Pressure Cooker Jangjorim

• What beef cut is best? Eye of round, brisket or any cuts of meat that can be easily shredded is best for Jangjorim.  But, you can even sub stew meat or chuck, it will just become a bit hard and you will have to slice it (against the grain) with a knife instead of tearing it with your hands
• How long will it last in the fridge? Because my recipe is less salty than some, it will keep for about a week. But you can re-boil the sauce and meat to make it last longer. Once you re-boil it (just a few min), it should last another week or longer.
• Can I freeze Jangjorim? Yes, you can – but the egg will not be as good when defrosted and reheated.
• Recipe variations – I like to use shishito peppers and egg in mine but you can omit both. You can also make it a spicier version with peppers like Jalapeno. Use quail eggs instead of regular.
• Vegan Jangjorim? Yes, you can veganize it by using meaty mushrooms like King Oyster Mushrooms, Oyster Mushrooms or Shitake. My mother-in-law used to make Songyi (송이 Pine/Mastutake) Jangjorim and it was to die for.. of course, these mushrooms are crazy expensive but it certainly is amazing..use some Dashima (kombu) in broth when you make it.
• Use sauce in cooking – use it simply as a dipping sauce with some vinegar added or other seasoning added. It’s less salty and more flavorful than a plain soy sauce. Make rice bowls with it (how-to tips below) and use the sauce to make Myeolchi Bokkeum, Gungjung Tteokbokki, Odeng (fish cake) Bokkeum, Gamja Jorim.. any dish that has a sweet soy sauce flavor.
• Use Gluten-Free soy sauce for Gluten Free version.

What if I want to increase or double the recipe?

You can double the recipe (to 2 lbs) of meat but no need to double the sauce amount because my recipe already has a lot of liquid. Don’t increase water amount but increase seasoning by adding 2 – 4 Tbs soy sauce, 2 – 3 Tbs sugar and maybe add 3-4 cloves of garlic and 1/2 knob of ginger. This is because more meat means, more seasoning will be absorbed by each meat, making the sauce blander overall.

Basically, you want to increase the seasonings by 1.5. No need to increase the cooking time as pressure cooking time is dependent upon the size of the meat, not the total weight. However, it will take longer to come to pressure as there are more items to heat up. And of course, the SAUTE time will be the same.

Jangjorim is too watery?

Jangjorim is one of those dishes where every family has their own version in terms of how much liquid it has, how salty or sweet it is and what you add to it (eggs, peppers, mushrooms, etc). While I think my version is absolutely delicious, I know it may not be what you at growing up. My version is on the side that has a lot of liquid and is also not too salty. So, please feel free to reduce it further or add less water if you’d like.

As my mom always used to say, “it’s always easier to fix a less salty dish than to fix a dish that’s already too salty.“

Step-by-Step Instructions

Servings: 8                                    Cooking Time: 50 minutes                       Difficulty: EASY

Equipment Used – 6 qt Instant Pot

Ingredients

• Beef – Eye of round or brisket
• garlic cloves
• ginger
• soy sauce
• sugar
• water
• eggs, shishito peppers (optional)

** NOTE – if you have just one Instant Pot, it’s best to cook the eggs ahead of time or cook eggs on the stove.

1. Hard boil eggs (skip this step if not adding eggs). 
   • Instant Pot  – Add 1 cup water to a 6-qt Instant Pot® or 1 1/2 cup water to 8 qt Instant Pot. Gently add eggs on top of a metal trivet. Select Manual at High pressure, and set time for 5 minutes. Quick-release pressure and cool eggs in an ice bath for 1 min. Peel eggs. Here’s a full recipe by mindfullmom.
   • Stove Top – Boil a pot of water (enough to cover eggs) and when it comes to boil, turn heat off and immediately add eggs (room temp preferable) to pot. Cover and leave it for 10 minutes. Cool eggs in an ice bath for 1 min and peel. 
2. Cut your meat into 2 – 3 inch cubes.

Peel ginger and garlic. Clean shishito peppers by rinsing in water (be sure to clean dirt in between the creases of the peppers) and then snapping off the top stem. No need to cut or make holes in the peppers – they will soak up the sauce without a hole.

In the Instant Pot, add water, beef cubes, garlic cloves, ginger. Cover and close the vent and cook Manual at Low pressure for 18 min. Natural Release for 10 min and Quick Release to open. Meat should be nice and tender.

To the pot with cooked beef and broth, add soy sauce, sugar, shishito peppers and hard-boiled, peeled eggs.

With lid uncovered, select SAUTE HIGH for 25 to 30 minutes. The sauce should reduce and the meat and eggs should be nicely seasoned.

Turn heat off and let it cool.

Serve this Pressure Cooker Jangjorim warm on the first day of cooking, store leftovers in the refrigerator. It can be enjoyed cold right from the refrigerator OR can also be warmed up in the microwave. When serving, either tear up the meat with your hands or cut it into smaller slices with a knife. Also slice eggs and serve with some of the sauce.

STORAGE –  refrigerate up to a week or so. Re-boil Jangjorim in a pot or SAUTE HIGH in the Instant Pot for 3-5 minutes to extend the shelf-life. Freeze but the eggs won’t be as good.

Here’s a pretty shot with my lovely chamomile flowers and mint! 😍

I grew chamomile for the first time this year and I’m just loving picking the flowers every day for some very relaxing tea with mint. 💕🍵 They are calming and also anti-cancer!

Quick Jangjorim Bibimbap in 2 min!

As I said above, our family is really enjoying making a simple rice bowl for lunch. Just add slices of the Jangjorim egg (or fried egg) on a bowl with warm rice. Then top it with some meat, sauce, peppers, little butter (or sesame oil) and mix it all together!!

Add a generous amount of sauce and no need to heat it up because the rice is warm. BTW, the picture below is missing the meat but it was still yummy!!!

Enjoy with some Kimchi or Danmuji radish pickles and you have a quick but very satisfying meal! Kids will LOVE this dish! (minus the peppers of course. 😉)

You can also make Bibimbap, Kimbap  – just replace the beef with the Jangjorim meat. One less thing to cook. 😍Try it!

Stay well!

XOXO ❤️, JinJoo

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