DONGDUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province – Song Seong-ja, head chef of Songwol Kwan, a renowned tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) restaurant in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, still expertly manages double-sided wrought-iron grills with minced beef, despite her age of 75 and petite frame. Positioned over a long pit with four fiery briquettes beneath, Song remains focused on her grills, a testament to her dedication and skill.

The intense heat from the briquettes, burning fiercely red and yellow, cooks the raw meat rapidly. Song flips the large grills constantly to ensure both sides of the meat are cooked evenly — any delay would quickly blacken the texture. She also opens the grills slightly, using a kitchen knife to press the minced meat into a firm, square shape. The heat causes grease to drip down into the pit like raindrops, a key reason why she avoids using an oven. The dripping grease could alter the temperature and affect the meat’s quality.

After about 15 minutes of precise, rhythmic cooking, a batch of eight tteokgalbi pieces is ready. She garnishes each patty with two slices of mushroom and savors the satisfaction of completing the task amid the heat.

“We still uses briquettes for savory patties. It’s a real extreme job in the summer,” Song said during an interview with The Korea Times.

For Song, Korea Grand Master No. 87, the ordeal at Songwol Kwan has defined much of her life. After marrying in her mid-20s, she began working at the restaurant, which her mother-in-law had started after the Korean War. Song took over the business in 추천 1976. Today, her two daughters are involved as well, with the eldest overseeing the dine-in hall and the second managing nationwide delivery shipments.

Making tteokgalbi involves human labor throughout every step, from deboning short ribs to marinating, mincing, and grilling the beef. As a result, there is a limit to how much she can sell each day for dine-in and delivery. This labor-intensive process is also why she has turned down offers to franchise her food.

But she takes pride in her food, using 100 percent short rib meat without additives like flour, eggs, or other types of meat to ensure high quality.

“We’ve had many visitors from outside the city. Back when there weren’t many places to eat in Dongducheon, we were quite bustling with visitors, including celebrities and politicians,” Song recalls. “When the U.S. soldiers’ camp was active in this city (Camp Casey of the United States Forces Korea, now relocated to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province), foreigners often held parties here.”