Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

The two most popular cuts of beef for Korean barbecue are cross-cut shortribs (galbee) and thinly-sliced ribeye (bulgogi). However, marinating a whole side of beef, or in this case, a flank steak, in the same seasonings, grilling, then slicing the grilled steak after cooking is a good way to enjoy Korean barbecue as well. Most Koreans wrap up a slice of beef with a little spoonful of rice and some red pepper sauce in the lettuce leaf.

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 1 lb of flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
2. 1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced on a angle
3. 1 Tbl. sugar
4. ¼ cup soy sauce, low-sodium
5. 2 Tbl. garlic, minced
6. 1 tsp. sesame oil
7. ¼ cup vegetable oil
8. ½ red pepper, thinly sliced
9. ½ orange pepper, thinly sliced
10. 1 Tbl. sesame seeds for garnish
11. 1 head of iceberg lettuce, leaves separated for wrapping

Directions

1. In a sealable bag, combine the steak, ¼ cup green onions, sugar, 2 Tbl. soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil. Massage until well incorporated and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a wok, or frying pan with high sides on high. Add 2 Tbl. of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Stir-fry the entire contents of the Zip Lock bag mixture for about 2 minutes or until completely cooked through. Set aside, loosely cover with foil and allow the meat to rest.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat. Add the remaining 2 Tbl. of vegetable oil and final 2 Tbl. of soy sauce and both types of sliced peppers. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the peppers are considered “crisp tender”.
4. To serve, arrange the whole lettuce leaves, meat mixture, and peppers in small piles on a large tray. Garnish the meat mixture with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds. Use the leaves like a tortilla and fill them with the meat and pepper mixtures.

Notes