Mungtigi, one of Daegu's 10 Flavours (Daegu Metropolitan City) · Photo: 대구광역시 / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
KoreaDaeguDaegu's Mungtigi: Thick-Cut Raw Beef So Fresh It Clings to an Upturned Plate
In Daegu, mungtigi, raw beef round cut into chunks about the size of a thumb joint, is one of the city's '10 Flavours.' Here is how it differs from yukhoe, how it began in 1950s Hyangchon-dong, and when to go to get it at its best.
Named for the Way It's Chopped
Mungtigi is Gyeongsang dialect for raw beef chopped into chunks about the size of a thumb joint. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture describes it as a raw beef dish found only in Daegu, and notes that it was named one of the city's '10 Flavours of Daegu' in 2006. The usual cut is the inner thigh of the hind leg. Early on, cooks favoured cheojigae-sal, a shank-related cut, and the eye of round, but today they mostly use top round because it is easier to trim. The membrane and sinew are cleaned off, the meat is cut into hefty pieces and arranged in a ring on the plate. Lean red muscle with little fat, it arrives a vivid crimson.
How It Differs From Yukhoe and Yuk-sashimi
Like yukhoe or yuk-sashimi it is raw beef, but the cut, thickness and seasoning differ. Yukhoe is shredded thin and tossed in seasoning; what Koreans call yuk-sashimi is sliced thin. Mungtigi is cut thick and chunky, with no seasoning on the meat itself, and you dip it in a separate sauce. The bite is completely different as a result. Thanks to the thickness, each piece is first springy and sticky, then releases a nutty, meaty richness as you chew. The Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture calls it a distinctive modern dish that emerged in Daegu while yukhoe was popular nationwide. Seasoned raw beef has a long history, but cutting it this thick and dipping it in sauce is described as something that began in Daegu.
It Began in 1950s Hyangchon-dong
According to the Encyclopedia of Daegu History and Culture, mungtigi was first served in the late 1950s by the owner of a cheap drinking house in Hyangchon-dong, Jung-gu. He got fresh meat from a nearby butcher, trimmed off the membrane and sinew, cut it into big pieces and put it in front of customers. Accounts differ somewhat, though, on exactly who sold it first and when. At first it was eaten wrapped in aged kimchi; later the sesame-oil dipping sauce took over. Daegu was growing into an industrial city, and mungtigi became a drinking snack for its workers. Today it is found all over Daegu and is spreading to other regions too.
Stuck to an Upturned Plate? How to Eat Mungtigi
Freshness is everything. According to the Daegu encyclopedia, restaurants use beef from cattle slaughtered at abattoirs near Daegu less than a day earlier, unaged, and trim it within 24 hours of slaughter. The meat holds so much juice and spring that people say it will not slide off even if you turn the plate upside down, and that image has become a kind of symbol of fresh raw beef's stickiness. The dipping sauce is sesame oil mixed with coarsely ground dried chilli, garlic, soy sauce and salt. Dunk a piece generously and eat it as is; nutty sesame oil, sharp garlic and chilli lift the clean red meat.
When and Where to Go
You can find mungtigi all over Daegu, centred on Hyangchon-dong in Jung-gu and the Deuran-gil restaurant strip in Suseong-gu. Hyangchon-dong is an old drinking quarter in the city centre with plenty of history; Deuran-gil is a row of large restaurants. One thing to know before you go: because freshness is everything, some days a restaurant may not serve mungtigi depending on that day's meat, so check ahead if you are going on a weekend or holiday. As Daegu's food site puts it, it is not sold unless it is fresh, so places may close early once the day's meat runs out. If raw meat is new to you, start small; if you are pregnant or immunocompromised, it is safest to skip raw beef.