My Korean Kitchen: Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef) and Aeri's Kitchen: Ssamjang (Wrapping Sauce)

After the time I spent in Korea many years ago, I occasionally get a craving for some of the foods that I ate on a regular basis there.  And this is definitely one of those foods.  There are actually several different meat dishes that you can eat wrapped in a shiso leaf with rice and spicy sauce, but this tends to be the easiest to make in the US without a dedicated Korean table grill.  And I just happened to find a nice package of thinly sliced ribeye, so...

Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef)
Adapted from My Korean Kitchen blog

1¾ pounds ribeye or top sirloin (or any tender prime beef cut), thinly sliced, ⅛-inch thickness
½ onion, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
½ carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on the bias

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

2 green onions, thinly sliced
Red lettuce leaves
Ssamjang (see below)

Marinade

6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, rice syrup, or honey
2 tablespoons rice wine (mirin)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 Asian pear or Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and grated
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine the marinade ingredients.  Place the thinly sliced meat, onion wedges, and carrot slices in a mixing bowl and pour the marinade over all.  Mix well while gently massaging the meat with your hands.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or move the marinated meat into a glass container with a lid) and marinate the meat for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat a skillet on medium high until well heated. Add the vegetable oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the meat and vegetables and cook on medium high to high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables cook to your desired doneness. Toss in the sesame seeds and green onions and stir to combine.

Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves with ssamjang and steamed white rice.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ssamjang (Wrapping Sauce)
From Aeri's Kitchen blog

2 tablespoons soybean paste (doenjang)
1 tablespoon red pepper paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. If you like to eat this often, you can make a larger portion ahead of time and then store it in the refrigerator to serve whenever you need it.

Makes ¼ cup