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Overview

Yukhoe

Korean Beef Tartare, Yukhoe with Asian Pear

This yukhoe recipe is Korea's answer to beef tartare: hand-cut raw beef tenderloin, chilled until firm, tossed in a soy-sesame dressing and mounded over crisp julienned Asian pear, then crowned with a raw egg yolk and pine nuts. The beef is sweet and clean-tasting, the pear is cold and juicy, and the yolk turns the whole plate glossy and rich. One serving is about 179 g.

Yukhoe has been eaten in Korea for centuries — records of raw beef dishes appear in Korean court cuisine from the Joseon dynasty, when finely cut raw beef was served as a delicacy at royal banquets. The modern version, seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil and served over Asian pear with a raw egg yolk, became a fixture of Seoul's markets and restaurants, especially around Gwangjang Market, where vendors slice the beef to order and serve it the moment it is cut. It is the Korean cousin of French steak tartare, but the pear, sesame and yolk make it unmistakably Korean.

Pairs well with: Steamed rice, kimchi, perilla leaves and a cold glass of makgeolli

Provenance

South Korea flag South Korea

Seoul Market Classic

East & South Asia

Time Dedication

25m

25m prep • 0m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

335 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 179 g

Technical Skill

Advanced

Advanced (Raw Meat Handling)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Occasions: Market lunches, Korean barbecue nights, special occasions and adventurous dinners with friends Cost: High — about $7–9 per serving at home
Tags: Beef Egg Savory High-protein Raw
Yukhoe — a mound of seasoned raw beef with pine nuts over julienned Asian pear on a pale blue plate

Seoul Market Classic

Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: High — about $7–9 per serving at home (USD)

Good yukhoe is cold, glossy and bright red, with the beef cut by hand into silky strips — never minced, never warm, never made ahead.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 25m
P

Prep Stage: Chill, Cut and Season the Beef

25 Mins • Hands-On, No Cooking

Put the beef in the freezer for 20 minutes — it must be cold and firm, not frozen solid, so it slices cleanly. Cut it by hand into thin strips about 3 mm wide and 5 cm long; never mince it, because yukhoe is about the silky texture of whole strips. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, grated garlic, sugar, salt and pepper into a dressing, then toss the cold beef strips in it just before serving. Julienne the Asian pear and keep it in cold water so it stays crisp, and separate the egg yolks so each one stays whole.

Maestro Tip: Everything must be cold — chill the plate, the beef and the pear. Warm yukhoe tastes flat and the beef turns grey; cold yukhoe is glossy, red and sweet.

  1. 1

    Chill and Slice the Beef

    20 Mins • Chilling No heat; chill in the freezer

    Place the beef tenderloin in the freezer for 20 minutes until firm at the edges but still sliceable. With a very sharp knife, cut it by hand into thin strips about 3 mm wide and 5 cm long, cutting with the grain so the strips hold together. Return the cut beef to the fridge immediately — it must stay cold from now on.

    A sharp knife is non-negotiable: a dull knife tears the fibres and the beef goes mushy. Wipe the blade clean between cuts.

    Done when: Thin, even strips of bright-red beef, cold to the touch.

  2. 2

    Julienne the Asian Pear

    5 Mins • Hands-On No heat

    Peel and core the Asian pear, then cut it into fine matchsticks about 3 mm thick. Drop the matchsticks into a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice so they stay white and crisp. Drain well and pat dry just before plating — wet pear waters down the beef.

    Cut the pear last, right before serving, so it is at its crispest and coldest.

    Done when: Crisp, pale matchsticks, dry to the touch.

  3. 3

    Mix the Seasoning and Dress the Beef

    3 Mins • Hands-On No heat

    In a cold bowl, whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, grated garlic, sugar, salt and black pepper until the sugar dissolves. Add the cold beef strips and toss gently with your hands or chopsticks until every strip is glossed — no more than 30 seconds of mixing, or the beef starts to warm up and lose its shine.

    Dress the beef at the very last minute. Seasoned beef left standing turns dull and the salt draws out moisture.

    Done when: Every strip is glossy and evenly coated, still bright red.

  4. 4

    Plate, Crown and Serve

    2 Mins • Hands-On No heat; serve cold

    Spread the drained pear matchsticks in a fan on a chilled plate. Mound the seasoned beef on top, scatter over the sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds and pine nuts, then gently place one whole raw egg yolk on the crown of each mound. Serve immediately, with chopsticks and a spoon — the yolk is broken into the beef at the table and mixed through just before eating.

    Do not break the yolk in the kitchen. The moment the yolk breaks over the beef at the table is the whole point of the dish.

    Done when: A glossy red mound over crisp pear, yolk whole and shining, served cold.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve yukhoe the moment it is plated, while the beef is still cold and glossy and the pear is crisp. Break the yolk at the table, toss once, and eat it straight away with rice — yukhoe waits for no one.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

335

kcal / serving

Protein

27g

Complete AA

Carbs

9g

Complex

Fats

21g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 179 g)
Energy335 kcal
Protein27 g
Carbohydrates9 g
Fat21 g
Fibre1.9 g
Sugar4.7 g
Sodium675 mg
Per 100g
Energy187 kcal
Protein14.8 g
Carbohydrates4.9 g
Fat11.9 g
Fibre1.1 g
Sugar2.6 g
Sodium378 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin B12, iron and zinc (beef), vitamin C (Asian pear), vitamin E (sesame and pine nuts), choline (egg yolk). Nutrition values are estimated.

Serious Protein

About 26.5 g of protein per serving makes yukhoe a strong choice after training or a long day, with all the essential amino acids beef provides.

Iron & B12

Beef is one of the richest sources of iron and vitamin B12, nutrients that support red blood cells and energy, and the vitamin C in the pear helps the body absorb the iron.

Fresh, Light and Uncooked

With no frying and no heavy sauce, the dish stays light: cold pear, sesame and green onion add fibre and freshness around the lean beef.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Steamed White Rice

Plain steamed rice is the classic partner — its mild, warm starch balances the cold, rich beef and gives the yolk something to coat.

Vegetables

Kimchi

The sour, spicy crunch of kimchi cuts through the richness of the raw beef and yolk and refreshes the palate between bites.

Perilla Leaves

Fresh perilla leaves add a minty, herbal note that lifts the sesame dressing, and wrapping a bite of beef in a leaf is the traditional way to eat it.

Drinks

Cold Makgeolli

Chilled makgeolli, the milky Korean rice wine, is the traditional drink with yukhoe — its gentle fizz and mild sweetness sit well with the rich, cold beef.

Complete menu

Start with yukhoe over Asian pear, then steamed rice, kimchi and perilla leaves, and finish with cold makgeolli — a classic Seoul market meal.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Eating Yukhoe When Pregnant or Immunocompromised

Raw beef can carry bacteria and parasites such as E. coli, Salmonella and Toxoplasma, and no seasoning or chilling removes that risk. Pregnant people, young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system should not eat raw beef. This is general food-safety information, not medical advice.

Storing Leftovers or Eating It Warm

Yukhoe must be eaten the moment it is made, while cold. Leftovers should not be saved, reheated or eaten the next day, because bacteria multiply quickly in raw meat at room temperature. Make only what you will eat in one sitting.

Raw Egg Yolk for Vulnerable People

The raw egg yolk on top carries the same Salmonella risk as the beef. If you are in a group that should avoid raw eggs, serve the beef without the yolk, or use a pasteurised yolk. This is general food-safety information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsSuitable for healthy adults who enjoy raw beef, when the meat is very fresh, kept cold, and eaten immediately. Eat it as an occasional delicacy, not an everyday meal.
  • ChildrenNot suitable for young children — raw beef and raw egg carry a real risk of food poisoning for small children. Serve them cooked beef instead.
  • ElderlyNot recommended for older adults, whose immune systems are more vulnerable to the bacteria raw meat can carry. A cooked beef dish is the safer choice.
  • Pregnant womenAvoid entirely during pregnancy. Raw beef can carry Toxoplasma and Listeria, both of which can harm the pregnancy, and raw egg adds a Salmonella risk.
  • Breastfeeding womenBest avoided while breastfeeding, or eaten only from a source you trust completely — the food-poisoning risk is the same as for any adult, and a severe stomach illness is the last thing a new mother needs.
  • AthletesExcellent protein for recovery, about 26.5 g per serving, with iron and B12 — but only from a trusted butcher and eaten fresh; food poisoning would cost far more training days than the protein gains.
  • Weight gainA good choice — protein-rich and energy-dense, and the rice on the side adds the extra calories easily.
  • Weight lossReasonable in a modest portion: high in protein and low in carbohydrate, but the sesame oil and yolk add fat, so keep the portion to one serving and load the plate with pear.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesVery low in carbohydrate, so it has little effect on blood sugar — but the pear adds a little natural sugar, so keep the pear portion modest and ask your clinician.
  • High blood pressureSoy sauce is the main source of sodium here; use a low-sodium soy sauce and skip extra salt at the table — ask your clinician.
  • Kidney diseaseBeef is high in protein, potassium and phosphorus; keep portions modest and ask your clinician.
  • GoutBeef is high in purines; eat yukhoe only occasionally and in a small portion — ask your clinician.
  • Stomach issuesRaw meat is harder to digest than cooked meat and carries a higher risk of stomach upset; people with a sensitive stomach should choose cooked beef instead.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseChoose the leanest tenderloin, trim all visible fat, and keep the portion moderate — red meat is high in saturated fat. Ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverKeep the portion modest and the sesame oil light; the dish is protein-rich but the yolk and oil add fat. Ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains egg, soy and sesame, and pine nuts (a tree nut). People allergic to any of these must avoid the dish or leave out the ingredient they react to — ask your clinician.
  • Special therapeutic dietsIf you follow a prescribed low-protein, low-purine or low-sodium diet, this dish is usually not suitable — check with your clinician.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Yukhoe cannot be stored. Make only what you will eat at once, and keep the beef refrigerated at 0–4°C (32–39°F) until the moment you cut it.
In the fridge
Do not keep leftover yukhoe, even in the fridge. Uncut fresh beef keeps 1–2 days refrigerated, but once cut and seasoned it must be eaten immediately.
In the freezer
Do not freeze finished yukhoe. Uncut beef can be frozen, but thawed beef is not suitable for raw eating.
How to reheat
Do not reheat yukhoe. If you decide not to eat it raw, cook the seasoned beef through in a hot pan instead.
Freezing recommended
No — yukhoe is a fresh, same-day dish only.
Signs it has spoiled
Any sour or off smell, grey or brown colour, or slimy surface on the beef means it must be thrown away, never eaten raw.

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