Vietnamese-Style Meat Jun

This Vietnamese-style meat jun transforms tender rib eye into golden nuggets bursting with lemongrass and paired with nam jim jaew dipping sauce. It's a delicious spin on the traditional Korean dish!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Thinly sliced ribeye: This cut is crucial because ribeye has excellent marbling that keeps the meat tender and juicy during the quick cooking process. The thin slicing allows the marinade to penetrate quickly, ensures even cooking, and creates the signature texture of meat jun where each piece cooks through in just minutes.
• Lemongrass: Provides a bright, citrusy, almost floral flavor that can't be replicated by other ingredients. It also cuts through the richness of the beef.
• Fish sauce: Adds a deep, savory, salty complexity without a "fishy" taste.
• Thai chili: Adds the spicy element that balances the sweet and savory marinade. You can omit it if preferred.
• Tamarind paste: Used in the dipping sauce to add a sweet, sour, tangy flavor.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: Try this recipe with thinly sliced pork shoulder.
• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour to coat the beef and gluten-free tamari for the marinade. Ensure that the fish sauce is also gluten-free.

Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Vietnamese-Style Meat Jun

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: beef

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Meat jun

• 1 pound thinly sliced rib eye
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
• 3 garlic cloves sliced
• 1 Thai chili minced
• 1 teaspoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour

Nam jim jaew dipping sauce

• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Prepare beef. Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, lemongrass, garlic, Thai chili, coriander, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Pour marinade over beef, mixing gently to coat. Let sit for 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, make dipping sauce. Combine hot water and brown sugar in a small bowl, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add fish sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, and chopped cilantro, stirring until combined. Set aside.
• Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and add flour to another shallow bowl. Coat the slices of rib eye in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in beaten eggs, making sure to coat all sides.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Lay beef in an even layer in the pan and cook until golden brown. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side. You may have to cook the beef in batches.
• Remove beef from the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Serve with dipping sauce and rice on the side, if desired.

Notes

You can prepare the dipping sauce the day before, but the color of the cilantro will dull over time.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Marinate beef

Although this Vietnamese-style meat jun might seem complicated, it's easy to prepare. Just marinate the beef, coat it in a batter, and pan-fry. Not too bad, right?

Let's start with the marinade. This recipe is similar to how I prepare banh mi at home with lemongrass, fish sauce, and a few other components.

Combine everything together in a blender and puree until smooth. It helps to finely chop the lemongrass before pureeing since the marinade is a small amount.

Once you pour this marinade over your thinly sliced rib eye, you'll want to let it sit for at least an hour, though overnight is even better.

The longer marination time allows all those flavors to penetrate the meat, and the natural acids help tenderize it too. Trust me, this step is what transforms regular beef into something special.

Step 2: Make sauce

While your beef is getting all those flavors, you can whip up the nam jim jaew dipping sauce - and honestly, this sauce is a game-changer.

Start by dissolving brown sugar in hot water, then stir in fish sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.

The tamarind paste is really the star here, giving the sauce that authentic sweet-and-sour tang that you just can't get from regular vinegar.

If you can't find tamarind paste at your regular grocery store, check the Asian food aisle or visit an Asian market - it's worth the extra trip. This sauce keeps well in the fridge for several days, so feel free to make extra.

Step 3: Cook beef

When it's time to cook, the process is surprisingly straightforward, but there are a few tricks to getting it just right. Set up the coating station with beaten eggs in one shallow bowl and flour in another. The flour helps the egg coating stick and creates that beautiful golden crust.

Coat each piece of beef in flour first, shaking off any excess, then dip it thoroughly in the beaten eggs.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and arrange the coated beef in an even layer. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the beef in batches.

Here's why the thinly sliced beef is so important: it ensures the meat cooks evenly and quickly, usually just a few minutes per side in medium-heat oil. You'll know it's ready when both sides are golden brown and the meat feels firm to the touch. Since rib-eye is already tender, you don't need to worry so much about overcooking.

Transfer the Vietnamese-style beef jun to a serving platter and garnish with chopped scallions, if desired. Serve with that delicious nam jim jaew sauce and dig in!

The final result is absolutely worth the effort. The tender, flavorful beef is far superior to the simple jun dishes I grew up with, and when paired with the dipping sauce, it's a perfect meal.

Serve the Vietnamese-style meat bun over rice and you've got yourself a meal that's both comforting and exciting!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: The marinade can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, and the dipping sauce keeps well for 3-4 days refrigerated. However, the meat is best cooked fresh and served immediately.
• Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

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