Today, we’re diving into a dish that’s so packed with taste, it’ll make your taste buds do a double-take. And we’re doing it quickly on the grill with a cut of meat that often gets relegated to low and slow cooking or barbecues, pork shoulder. Dive into the flavorful world of Gochujang Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wraps! This recipe blends Korean barbecue tradition with a spicy, savory twist and lots of greenery. Unwrap the secrets to making this delicious, easy-to-follow Korean-inspired recipe that promises to elevate your traditional grill-out.
A Little History of Korean Barbecue
Before we get to the meat of the matter (pun absolutely intended), let’s take a brief detour through history. Korean barbecue, or gogi-gui, is not just food; it’s a cultural institution. Imagine sitting around a grill with friends, cooking thinly sliced meats and vegetables, and wrapping them in leafy greens with a dollop of sauce and loads of banchan. This tradition is about sharing, socializing, and savoring every bite.
What Is Ssam Sauce?
And what’s a wrap without its sauce? Enter ssam sauce, the Robin to your barbecue, Batman. Traditionally made with doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (fermented red chili paste), sesame oil, and a mix of garlic and onions, this sauce is a flavor bomb that complements the smoky, savory taste of grilled meats perfectly. But a little dab will do ya—it’s hot, ya’ll.
The Recipe: Gochujang Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wraps
Now, let’s talk about transforming your kitchen into the hottest Korean BBQ spot in town with these Gochujang Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wraps. Here’s what you need:
-Garlic and ginger
-Dry sake and mirin
-Gochujang
-Neutral oil
-Thinly sliced pork shoulder steaks
You can serve with any variety of lettuce and chopped vegetables. Something pickled would absolutely not be unwelcome, too. If you live close to a Korean grocery (like H-Mart), you can purchase banchan (vegetable side dishes) to serve alongside—or even in your lettuce wraps. This recipe is served with ssamjang sauce and toasted sesame oil.
Let’s Get Cooking:
- Marinade Magic: Blend garlic, ginger, sake, gochujang, mirin, and oil until smooth. Marinate your pork slices in this concoction for 2-24 hours.
- Grill to Perfection: Grill those marinated slices to your preferred doneness, basting with a bit of reserved marinade.
- Wrap it Up: Slice the pork thinly, wrap it in lettuce with your favorite toppings and ssam sauce, and dive in!
The original recipe comes from Bon Appetit here; you can watch Carla Lalli Music make it on the Bon Appetit YouTube channel here.
Aside from being ridiculously tasty, this recipe is a crash course in balancing flavors. The gochujang brings heat and depth, the mirin adds a touch of sweetness, and the sake ties it all together with its dry complexity. The pork shoulder is rich and fatty, the green onions and jalapeños crisp and vegetal, and the sauces add richness and heat. And when it’s all wrapped up in a crisp lettuce leaf? It’s an act of culinary harmony.
The beauty of this dish lies in its versatility. Don’t have mirin? Use a sweet rice wine. Can’t find perilla leaves? Lettuce is your friend. The point is, make it your own. And remember, the best part of Korean barbecue is the joy of sharing. So, invite some friends over, roll up your sleeves, and let the good times roll. Here’s to good food, great company, and endless adventures in the kitchen.
Happy cooking!
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Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wraps
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Description
Dive into the flavorful world of Gochujang Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wraps! This recipe blends Korean barbecue tradition with a spicy, savory twist and lots of greenery. Unwrap the secrets to making this delicious, easy-to-follow Korean-inspired recipe that promises to elevate your traditional grill-out.
Ingredients
PORK SHOULDER:
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the back of a knife
- One 2” piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry sake
- 1/2 cup gochujang
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral oil like grapeseed), plus more for grilling
- 1–1/2 pounds boneless, skinless pork shoulder, sliced into 1/2– to 3/4-inch-thick steaks*
FOR SERVING:
- Crisp lettuce, like butter or green/red leaf, or perilla if you can find it, which would be more traditional
- Thinly sliced jalapeños and green onions
- Ssamjang sauce, homemade here and here or store-bought**
- Toasted sesame oil seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
*Serving accompaniments are optional and completely customizable.
Instructions
- Add the garlic, ginger, sake, gochujang, mirin, and the 1/4 cup vegetable oil to a blender. Puree until combined and as smooth as possible. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in the refrigerator. Transfer the remaining marinade to a large dish; add the pork, turning to coat thoroughly. Transfer to the refrigerate and marinate for at least two hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium-high or a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Lightly the grill grate or grill pan, depending on what you’re using (the marinade has a high sugar content and will stick). Remove the pork from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off, and transfer to the grill or grill pan. Cook, turning occasionally and basting with the reserved 1/4 cup marinade, for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pork and desired final temperature (I like pork to be cooked to medium with a light pink center). You may need to lower the temperature and/or move the pork to the cool side of the grill if you get flare-ups or if the meat begins to char.
- Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain and serving with your desired accompaniments and sauces.
Notes
*If you have access to a butcher, ask them to do this for you. If not, slice as thinly as you can using a very sharp chef’s or slicing knife. Because pork shoulder can be tough and chewy if not cooked low and slow, it’s important to have these pork steaks pretty thin.
**I purchased and used Momofuku’s ssam sauce when I made this, but it appears to be out of stock everywhere. I did find a recipe for it here but cannot attest to its quality or authenticity.
Inspiration: Gochujang Pork Shoulder Steaks on bonappetit.com
- Category: Pork, Korean-Inspired, Asian-Inspired