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Quick Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ is one of the most fun and flavorful ways to eat, but there’s no reason you can’t have those flavors at home…on a weeknight. Check out this recipe for KBBQ lettuce wraps including the bulgogi beef, side dishes (crunchy toppings) and a sauce.

Ingredients

Makes 2 portions

For the Bulgogi:

500 grams/1 pound ribeye steak, or substitute with sirloin flap or skirt steak
30 g or 2Tbsp soy sauce
15 g or 1Tbsp brown sugar
10 g or 2tsp Mirin
3 g or 1/2tsp black pepper
3 cloves of garlic, grated or pressed
10 g or 2tsp sesame oil
10 g honey, 1 long drizzle
25 g or 1/2 Asian pear, or substitute with Bosc or Bartlett pear, grated
75 g thinly sliced white onion, ½ an onion
20 g or 2 bunches of scallion tops sliced into 2″ pieces

For the Crunchy Toppings:

Oi Muchim (Spicy Quick-Pickled Korean Cucumbers)

400 grams or 3-4 Persian cucumbers, sliced into coins (sub english cucumbers half peeled with seeds removed)
20 g or 1.5Tbsp kosher salt
30 grams or 1/3c sliced scallions
10 grams or 3 cloves fresh garlic, grated
5 g or 2tsp sesame seeds
10 g or 2 1/2tsp granulated sugar
10 g or 2tsp rice vinegar
7-8 g or 1 1/2tsp sesame oil
25 g or 2Tbsp Gochugaru, or substitute with a blend of 20g sweet paprika and 5g chili flakes

Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot

225 g or 1c water
75 g or 1/3c rice vinegar
100 g or 1/3c + 1Tbsp white distilled vinegar
40 g or 3Tbsp sugar
4 g or 1t kosher salt
150 grams 1 large carrot, julienned
150 grams ¼ to ½ of 1 daikon radish (or substitute with jicama or white turnip), grated

For Serving:

Green leaf lettuce leaves
Samjang, sub with equal parts miso and sriracha
Cooked white rice
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Prep and marinate the Bulgogi:

Trim excess fat from the ribeye steak and slice it thinly, about 1/8 inch thick or thinner.
Cut the slices in half into long thin strips and remove any internal hard fat.
In a bowl, combine the beef strips, soy sauce, brown sugar, Mirin, black pepper, grated garlic, sesame oil, honey, and pear pulp. Mix well.
Add the thinly sliced white onion and toss everything to combine.
Marinate the beef in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Prepare the Crunchy Toppings (banchan):

Kimchi:

Slice the kimchi into thin strips for easy serving

Oi Muchim (Spicy Quick-Pickled Korean Cucumbers):

In a bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers and salt, and toss to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Drain off the excess water from the cucumbers.
Add the sliced scallions, garlic, sesame seeds, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and Gochugaru. Stir to combine and let it marinate until ready to serve.

Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot:

In a saucepan, combine water, rice vinegar, white distilled vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring it to a simmer.
Use a julienne peeler to shred the carrot and grate the daikon radish.
Drop the shredded carrot and grated daikon radish into the simmering brine. Stir and let it sit off the heat for about 10 minutes.
Once cooled, the pickled daikon radish and carrot are ready to serve.

Prep the lettuce:

Clean and prepare the green leaf lettuce leaves by removing the top and base.
Wash the lettuce leaves and spin dry.
Cover the lettuce leaves with a damp paper towel until ready to serve.

Cook the Bulgogi:

Heat a non-stick pan or cast iron over medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the marinated beef. It will steam initially before searing.
Spread the beef evenly in the pan and let it sit undisturbed for at least 2 minutes.
Flip the beef to cook the other side. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the beef is well browned, the cooking liquid is evaporated, and the onions are softened.
Add the tops of two bunches of scallions (about 20 grams) and toss to wilt them.

To serve:

Sprinkle the cooked bulgogi with sesame seeds.
To assemble the lettuce wraps, smear some ssamjang on the inside of each lettuce leaf.
Add a scoop of cooked rice, a few ounces of bulgogi, and a couple of the crunchy toppings (kimchi, oi muchim, or pickled daikon radish and carrot).