Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam)

Name: Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 2 lbs beef ribeye or sirloin, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/2 Asian pear (or Bosc pear), grated; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tsp toasted sesame oil; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated; 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tsp vegetable oil; 2 heads butter or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated; 1/4 cup ssamjang (Korean wrap sauce); 4 scallions, thinly sliced; 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Tender, sweet-savory Korean marinated beef is seared and served wrapped in crisp butter lettuce with ssamjang, rice, and banchan - a low-carb, hands-on dining experience. Plan ahead: marinate at least 30 minutes.

30 minEasyServes 4390 cal/serving

KoreanDinnerStovetopLow CarbHigh FiberLow-SodiumPork-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

2 lbs beef ribeye or sirloin, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 Asian pear (or Bosc pear), grated
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 heads butter or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1/4 cup ssamjang (Korean wrap sauce)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1

In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 grated Asian pear (or Bosc pear), 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Add 2 lbs thinly sliced beef ribeye or sirloin and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2

Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering.
3

Cook beef ribeye or sirloin in a single layer for 1 to 2 minutes until caramelized, then stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and all liquid has evaporated.
4

Transfer beef to a serving plate. Garnish with 4 thinly sliced scallions and 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds.
5

Arrange 2 heads leaves separated butter or red leaf lettuce on a platter. Build wraps by placing beef in a lettuce leaf, adding a small spoonful of 1/4 cup ssamjang (Korean wrap sauce), then folding the leaf around the filling.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Korean Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What internal temperature should Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam) reach?

For Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam), the target internal temperature is 145 F (about 65 C), given in step 3. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

How long should Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam) marinate?

Step 1 reads: "Marinate for at least 30 minutes." Follow the time in step 1. Shorter still seasons the surface. Much longer is not better with acidic marinades, which turn the outside of meat or fish mushy.

What can I use instead of brown sugar in Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam)?

The entry for Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam) calls for 2 tbsp brown sugar. In its place: White sugar with a tablespoon of molasses per cup. Without molasses, plain white sugar works but bakes up crisper and paler.

Can I make Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam) dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam) is 2 heads butter or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Does Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam) contain sesame?

Yes: 2 tsp toasted sesame oil and 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten, dairy, soy and sesame. Seeds used as a garnish can simply be left off; the oil has no true substitute. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

Which part of Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps (Ssam) can be done ahead?

Everything up to step 1. Step 1 is a built-in pause of 30 minutes: "Marinate for at least 30 minutes." Do everything up to that point ahead of time and pick up at step 2 when you are ready to finish.

Serve it with

Kongnamul Muchim (Seasoned Bean Sprouts) side
Dubu Buchim Salad salad
Ssamjang (Korean Dipping Paste) sauce
Sikhye drink

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.