Korean Steak Wraps with 'quickles'

Korean food is my comfort food. I adore it. It’s what I choose for my birthday almost every year. I can’t stop. Won’t stop. Pop kimchi on it and I’m in heaven. I make a version of this with ground beef, but I realized a few days ago - mostly because I had some steak hanging around - that this would be delicious with thin sliced thin. So here we go!

It’s so fast. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner when you’re running from one practice/game/tryout to the next. It’s also on the healthier side of things - steak, vegetables, kimchi for probiotics….

The best dinners are also ones that can make a good late plate. This makes a great late plate. I make a giant plate for the late arrivals and let them heat up the rice and meat and leave everything else on the side.

Korean Steak Wraps

serves 4

1 cucumber

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 peppercorns, cracked

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pear, grated

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons gochuchang

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 pounds hanger steak, thinly sliced

butter lettuce

kimchi for serving

rice

STEP 1

In a small skillet bring to a low boil the white vinegar, rice vinegar, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns and red pepper flakes. To ‘crack’ the peppercorns you can use a mortar and pestle or smash them with the back of a knife. No peppercorns? Use fresh ground pepper - about 1/2 teaspoon or less.

STEP 2

Slice the cucumbers into large chunks then smash them with the side of a knife to break them apart. Pop them into a bowl or a pint jar. Once the vinegar mixture has come to a low boil (just a few bubbles on the sides and the sugar is melted) pour it over the cucumbers. Let rest until it’s time to eat.

STEP 3

In a large bowl, combine the pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, gochuchang, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Add the sliced steak and let it marinade for 20 minutes or as long as an hour.

STEP 4

In a large wok or giant skillet, cook the steak quickly. Use the highest heat you can to get a good crisp on the sides and cook it fast. As soon as it’s cooked through, remove from the heat and serve!

STEP 5

Serve with rice, kimchi, and ‘quickles’ over cups of butter lettuce. Eat it up like a taco.