Chef Jung Ji-sun and Chef Shim Sung-chul Collaboration: A Meeting of New York-style Steak and Chinese Cuisine

Chef Jung Ji-sun and Chef Shim Sung-chul, who is active in New York, met to present a special collaboration menu that breaks down the boundaries between Chinese and Western cuisine. According to a video from Chef Jung Ji-sun's YouTube channel 'Jung Ji-sun's Charisma', this collaboration is the result of discussions that have been ongoing for about a year to capture New York style and the tendencies of South Korean Chinese cuisine in a single dish.

Variables and Behind-the-Scenes Created by Different Kitchen Styles in New York and South Korea

The meeting of the two chefs contained the intense reality of the kitchen behind the glamorous results. Chef Shim Sung-chul is a chef who operates several establishments near Times Square in New York, such as 'COTE', '92', and 'Marine', and he composed the menu together with Chef Jung Ji-sun for this event. In the video, the difficulties the two chefs experienced due to different kitchen environments are revealed without filter.

Chef Shim Sung-chul shared his experience of having to personally bring specific brands of sauce from South Korea because he could not find them while working in New York, and how he received a good response by combining the unique charm of 'Doubanjiang', which he encountered for the first time in the United States, with jajangmyeon sauce. On the other hand, for the collaboration in South Korea, the difference in kitchen equipment was a major variable. This was because the menu had to be adjusted to fit Chef Jung Ji-sun's kitchen environment, which operates centered around the wok, instead of the ovens or mixers that Chef Shim Sung-chul mainly uses.

In particular, Chef Jung Ji-sun explained the intense work process that continued until 3–4 AM while preparing for this event. Amidst a tight schedule where they had to welcome the next customers immediately at 10 AM when the breakfast service ended, the two chefs' teams continued overnight work for menu prep, creating a high-tension kitchen situation. In the video, an unexpected situation that occurred during the process of making dim sum during the local event in New York was also mentioned. It was reported as a tense moment when a fire broke out in a pan containing sugar while the hall manager was passionately preparing dessert (bas), but the entire staff overcame the crisis by using salt to extinguish it.

Harmony of Chinese and Western Cuisine, Collaboration Menu Composition

The core of this collaboration was to make each person's color harmonize into a single course. Chef Jung Ji-sun stated, "Since we are putting the thoughts of two chefs into one plate, we constantly exchanged opinions." The main menus released are as follows:

• Kimmari and French Dip applied menu: A starter menu that combines Korean and Chinese bites.
• Tangbao Samgyetang concept: A menu that uses chicken liver instead of the existing pork filling and adds the flavor of Samgyetang.
• Lajojiang Cucumber Salad: Using the Lajojiang from dim sum, it was paired with fresh sashimi along with stem lettuce, peach, oriental melon, and celery.
• Abalone Shrimp Dish: It was given a Korean color by adding aged kimchi and tortillas, and it is in a form of being wrapped in leaves, steamed whole, and then fried.
• Eggplant Meatballs: Eggplants were fried to make them into a meatball form like Tteokgalbi, served with a sauce made by simmering Doubanjiang, gochujang, and tomato coulis.

The final dessert was composed by combining Chef Shim Sung-chul's signature black sesame ice cream with Chef Jung Ji-sun's team's Kadaif banana. A pairing using Kaoliang liquor was added to this, receiving a positive response from customers.

72 Hours of Sincerity, Signature 'Check Sirloin Steak' Recipe

The highlight of the event was the 'Check Sirloin Steak' which contains Chef Shim Sung-chul's style. This menu is a precise dish that takes a total of 72 hours of processing to be completed. First, it goes through a process of salting the meat using nuruk and black garlic. After that, precise cooking is carried out at a low temperature, and a sauce is made using the parts obtained during the meat processing. The sauce was made by adding caramelized ingredients, red wine, and port wine to the meat broth and performing a Reduction, then finishing it with a beef stock base and black pepper to create a deep flavor.

When grilling the steak, the 'Searing' process, which makes the surface a golden brown at a high temperature, is key. In the video, a thickness of about one finger joint is recommended for the steak, and the process of pulling up the flavor through searing at a high temperature is shown. The garnish provided with the steak consisted of mushroom puree using five types of mushrooms (Matsutake, King Oyster, Button, Oyster, Porcini) and homemade pie dough cheese grill, demonstrating the technical perfection of the two chefs.