I first tried Korean Ssam a few months ago (Bo Ssam) and was hooked. I searched for more recipes to use up some of my Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste) and Doenjang (Korean Soybean Paste) and came across Bulgogi Ssam. Beef marinated with a sweet soy sesame sauce is quickly stir fried and wrapped in lettuce with steamed rice and ssamjang (Korean Spicy Dipping Sauce). I love it even more than Bo Ssam. Chad disagrees with me. He thought this one was delicious, but enjoyed the slow roasted pork more. Next time, I will probably use my previously posted ssamjang for the wraps. It was just a but more flavorful than the ssamjang in this recipe.
The beef needs to be cut as thinly as possible so it is able to cook in a couple of minutes. If needed, you can place the meat in the freezer for about 15 minutes to make it easier to slice.
More information on doenjang is available in my Mac Jeok post. I was able to find doenjang at my local Asian food market. It is usually labeled in a brown container. More information on Gochujang is available in my Dakkochi post. I was able to find gochujang in the grocery store, but it is also available at many Asian food markets. It is usually labeled in a red container.
Ingredients
1 pound (500 g) beef tenderloin or sirloin, very thinly sliced
6 tablespoons (100 g) soy sauce
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
5 teaspoons (20 g) sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons (60 g) Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) Doenjang n(Korean soybean paste)
1 tablespoon (10 g) rice vinegar
1 tablespoon (10 g) soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Cooked medium grain rice, warm
Romaine, bibb, or red leaf lettuce leaves
Kimchi
To make the marinade, combine soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Add the thinly sliced beef, turning to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine gochujang, doenjang, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Place a large wok or pan over high heat. Once heated, add the beef with the marinade. Cook, stirring constantly, until browned, 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Use lettuce leaves to wrap beef with the rice and ssamjang. Serve with kimchi.
Adapted from Sous Chef
https://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/bulgogi-ssam-korean-marinated-beef-lettuce-wraps/
[…] simplest possible way to do it, but if you want to get creative, check out the Korean dish called Bulgogi Ssam that this is based […]