December 5, 2019

Korean-Style Steak Lettuce Wraps

Name: Korean-style Steak Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: Romaine or Bibb Lettuce Leaves; 1/2 Asian or Bosc pear (peeled and grated); 1/2 onion (red or yellow, diced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1/2 inch ginger root (minced (or use 1 frozen ginger cube available at Trader Joe’s)); 1 tablespoon peanut oil; 1 pound beef top round sandwich steak (diced into 1” cubes (or shaved steak)); Salt and pepper to season steak; 2 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce (I use San-J); 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons gochujang Korean red peppere paste* (or less according to your spice tolerance level, I use O’Food brand); 2/3 cup beef or chicken stock; 2 teaspoons light brown sugar; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 2 scallions (whites and greens, chopped); 1 jalapeno (sliced); sesame seeds; 1 cup cooked white or brown rice

Korean-Style Steak Lettuce Wraps are fun, tasty, quick, easy and a nice change from the usual lettuce wrap. The Korean inspiration fuses mild heat from the Korean red pepper paste with subtle sweetness from the pear. For a twist on the typical lettuce wrap, give this Korean-Style version a whirl.

Jump to Recipe

Grating the Pear

Remove skin of pear with a knife or peeler and then grate using the wide-tooth side of a grater.

Grated pear and chopped onion.

Steak Preparation

Beef top round sandwich steak diced into 1″ cubes.

Heat oil on medium high to high heat in a large skillet. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, until steak becomes browned.

Add pear, onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, until onions begin to soften.

Korean Red Pepper Paste

This is the brand of Korean red pepper paste I use.

let sauce simmer until it reduces and thickens

Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, korean red pepper paste, stock, sugar and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken.

Korean-Style Steak Lettuce Wraps

To assemble lettuce wraps, place rice (white or brown) inside each lettuce leaf and top with 2-3 big spoonfuls of steak. Garnish as desired with jalapeños, sesame seeds and/or scallions.

Print Recipe

Korean-style Steak Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Asian, korean

Keyword: cucumbers, garlic, ginger, gluten free, korean paste, korean red pepper paste, korean style, lettuce wraps, pear, steak

Servings: 4 people

Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

Romaine or Bibb Lettuce Leaves
1/2 Asian or Bosc pear peeled and grated
1/2 onion red or yellow, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 inch ginger root minced (or use 1 frozen ginger cube available at Trader Joe’s)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound beef top round sandwich steak diced into 1” cubes (or shaved steak)
Salt and pepper to season steak
2 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce I use San-J
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons gochujang Korean red peppere paste* or less according to your spice tolerance level, I use O’Food brand
2/3 cup beef or chicken stock
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Garnish Options

2 scallions whites and greens, chopped
1 jalapeno sliced
sesame seeds
1 cup cooked white or brown rice

Instructions

Peel and grate pear on a wide tooth grater.
Chop onion. Mince garlic and ginger.
Heat skillet over medium-high to high heat.
Add oil to the pan. Once shimmering, add steak and cook until browned, turning occasionally (approx 3 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
Turn down heat to medium and add pear, onions, garlic and ginger. Cook a couple of minutes until onions soften, another 3 minutes or so.
Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, Korean red pepper paste, stock, sugar and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer, 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken.

Assembly

To assemble lettuce wraps, place rice (white or brown) inside each lettuce leaf and top with 2-3 big spoonfuls of steak.
Top with jalapeno slices, sesame seeds and/or sliced scallions. All garnishes are optional.

Notes

*Make sure to look at the ingredients on the red pepper paste container. Many brands contain wheat. This brand does not but states it is” manufactured in a facility that processes wheat.” If you are unable to tolerate this, please do not use this brand. If you have a problem finding gluten free Korean red pepper paste, here is a recipe for a homemade, gluten free red pepper paste: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-gochujang-sauce-korean-chili-paste/. (Note: I have not tried the homemade red pepper paste recipe).

There are many substitution options with this recipe. The original recipe calls for ground beef which results in a sloppy joe consistency. Ground chicken or turkey can be used as well if you prefer more of a sloppy joe style. Or consider chicken (white or dark meat) or firm tofu instead of the diced steak.

If you can’t find Asian or Bosc pear, peel and grate 1/2 an apple instead.

To complete the dish, make a batch of delicious quick-style Korean pickles to serve with the lettuce wraps. Recipe on GFchow: Quick-style Korean Pickles.

I thank my friend Suzy for sharing this recipe with me. Original recipe from Rachel Ray. Click here. Modifications for gluten free eating made by me.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Nuggets – (Gluten Free), Quick-style Korean pickles, and Satay Breakfast Toast – (Gluten Free).

Gluten Free Disclaimer

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.