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One of my best purchases during the pandemic was a Korean-style tabletop grill pan. I was missing that indoor dining experience of Korean barbeque and one of the things I tried to do regularly to make up for being unable to travel was do themed dinners at home, so being able to cook KBBQ definitely became a highlight. Unlike what we think of as a “grill” in the States, which usually involves flames coming up through a grate, cooking Korean barbeque at home can be done on a special nonstick pan that is contoured to allow excess rendered fat to slide away from the meat. But if you don’t have one of these special pans, you can also easily replicate the experience with a griddle or a nonstick pan.

The idea behind this platter was to combine two different dishes that involve lots of different ingredients being served separately at the table to then get wrapped together right before eating. I realized that Tex-Mex fajitas and Korean ssam have a lot of things in common.  Ssam means “wrapped” in Korean, and usually involves making little wraps at the table with a leafy veggie and a small piece of meat inside, often with garlic, peppers, and spicy ssamjang. Fajitas usually involve a mix of meat and peppers, with salsa on the side and tortillas for wrapping everything together. So, they both involve some kind of meat cut into small pieces, served with peppers and some kind of spicy sauce, all wrapped up in something flat by the eater in a sort of choose-your-own-adventure experience at the dining table. I decided to take components from both of these dishes to make a fusion fajita platter where everything can be cooked on my Korean grill pan.

I used Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil in three different ways to prepare this galbi fajita spread:

The marinade: In my opinion, good Korean BBQ is all about good quality meat and a great marinade! This bulgogi-inspired sweet-savory marinade is super easy to come together because everything gets thrown in a blender. I used Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the marinade because I thought its rich, almost fruity flavor would go better with the other fajita ingredients than the sesame oil typically used for ssam. 

Sautéed peppers and onions: For this fusion fajita platter, I used a mix of sweet and spicy peppers instead of just the usual bell peppers. Using Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil helped with getting a good sear on these veggies to bring out their natural flavors. In general, this is my go-to oil for sautéing because it has less saturated fat, and more monounsaturated fat (otherwise known as healthy fats) than many other cooking oils.

Gochujang crema: Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil brings such richness to condiments and dressings, so I used it to get the mouthfeel I was looking for with my gochujang crema. This mixture of Korean red pepper paste and crème fraîche is so tasty for fans of anything spicy and creamy, and I am definitely going to be using it on more than just tortillas.

You’ll see that I pulled accoutrements from both of the inspiration dishes—fajitas and ssam—to make up the platter, but this idea is super customizable to your taste. I used LA-style galbi for the meat because it’s very iconic to my personal experiences having Korean BBQ in California—it is flanken-cut short ribs typically cooked as strips and then cut with kitchen shears before eating. If you can’t find this, strips of steak or pork belly would also work great (if you adjust cooking times accordingly). You could also go the ssam route and use leafy greens as your wrap instead of tortillas for a more fresh, healthy option. That’s why I think of this as a choose-your-own-adventure meal!

Ingredients for Galbi

1/2 apple*, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 small red onion, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp mirin
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 – 1 1/4 lb LA-style (flanken cut) galbi

Ingredients for Gochujang Crema

1 tbsp gochujang
4 tsp crème fraîche
1/2 tsp Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp honey

Ingredients for Fajita Platter

1 tbsp Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4” strips
1/2 lb peppers (mix of sweet and spicy), seeded and cut into 1/4” strips
2–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lime, quartered
cilantro, for garnish
8–10 small tortillas, warmed
salt, to taste

* honeycrisp, pink lady, or fuji apple recommended

Procedure

To make the galbi marinade, combine the apple, onion, garlic, mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, and Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a blender and blend until liquified. Place the galbi in a large zip-top bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over it. Make sure all galbi pieces are in contact with the marinade and seal. Place in the fridge and allow to marinade for at least 1 hour, overnight recommended.

To make the gochujang crema, whisk together the gochujang, crème fraîche, Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and honey until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.

Heat a Korean-style indoor grill pan or stovetop griddle on medium-high. Add Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, then onion and pepper strips. Salt to taste, and continue to cook, flipping occasionally, until edges begin to brown. Move to the edges of the grill pan where there is less heat. Add garlic slices and cook until slightly golden on each side, then move away from direct heat as well. 

Drain excess marinade from the galbi and place on the grill pan. Cook until slightly charred on one side, flip, and cook the other side (2–4 minutes per side). 

Transfer pepper and onion mixture to a serving platter, as well as garlic. If desired, use kitchen shears to cut galbi into smaller pieces and remove bone pieces. Arrange galbi on the serving platter and garnish with scallions. Add jalapeno slices, avocado, and lime. Garnish with cilantro. Serve alongside warmed tortillas and gochujang crema, and enjoy family style.

Thank you so much to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this recipe! Visit their website to learn more about their authentic Italian olive oils, made to the highest quality standard of excellence and craftsmanship.