This dish is sinfully addictive. Marinated in a salty, sweet, spicy marinade, these thinly-sliced strips of beef are swiftly seared on a grill before being rolled up in a Korean-style wrap (ssam). Fold 1-2 pieces of steak, some rice, herbs & vegetables inside a crispy lettuce leaf to start your addiction!

Make sure to place the meat in the freezer prior to slicing – this makes for much easier work in achieving your thin strips.

Ingredients

For the beef

• 1 ½ pounds rib-eye  (or any well-marbled steak)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons sugar (unrefined)
• ⅓ cup stout or porter
• 3-4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 scallions (minced)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 Asian pear (peel and grate)

For the serving

• cooked sushi rice
• large lettuce leaves
• scallions (chopped)
• slivered chiles
• Fresh herbs (Thai basil, shiso, cilantro & mint work well
• radishes (sliced thinly)
• baby carrots (peel and quarter)
• Persian cucumbers (slice thinly, marinate briefly in seasoned rice vinegar)
• chili flakes
• garlic cloves (sliced thinly)
• sriracha or other chili sauce

Preparation

1. Wrap your steak in plastic wrap and put in the freezer as you assemble the marinade. Combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, beer, scallions, sesame oil, pepper, honey & Asian pear in a medium bowl. Remove steak from freezer and slice across the gain into ¼ in thick strips. Take your steak strips and place in the marinade, stir a little, and allow to sit for 30 minutes. While waiting, you can prep a very hot fire (or preheat a gas grill on its highest flame).
2. When the grill is nice and hot, sear your steaks until nicely caramelized – approximately 2-3 min on each side. Be sure to work in batches, as this will avoid crowding of the meat. When done, serve the beef alongside condiments and make your ssam (Korean wraps). Take a slice of beef or two, some rice, herbs and vegetables, and fold inside a crispy lettuce leaf. Enjoy!