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With the ability to travel internationally still being very iffy, I have been trying to scratch that travel bug itch at home by creating themed meals. Oftentimes they are based on places that I have visited before—trying to recreate fond eating memories or satisfy nostalgic cravings. And the best themed dinner nights are the ones where the meal also lends itself to being interactive, so that communal eating at the dinner table also becomes a stay-at-home activity. We have been making hot pot and budae jjigae more often than before, but Bibigo USA asked me to develop a recipe that could help others capture the Korean BBQ experience at the dining table, even for those who don’t have a tabletop burner or cooktop. For this recipe, the meat is cooked on the stovetop first, and then served at the dining table with leafy veggies, dipping sauce, and fresh garnishes so that you and your quarantine companion can enjoy assembling and eating wraps together.

Back when eating at restaurants was a thing, I loved going to KBBQ restaurants with friends, cooking tons of meat together at the table, and eating it piping hot wrapped in different vegetables. And when I visited South Korea, I noticed that giant perilla leaves were popular for these ssam (which means “wrapped” in Korean); they definitely became my favorite to use for wrapping up the juicy marinated meats. I am lucky enough to have a great local Korean grocery store (Kukje Supermarket) where I can buy them to use for my homemade ssam, but shiso or regular leafy lettuce are also great.

Because the convenience of Bibigo’s Korean BBQ sauces makes the marinating process basically effortless, I used the saved time to make sure I also had an awesome dipping sauce (a.k.a. ssamjang) to serve with my wraps.

Ingredients for the Galbi

1 1/2 lbs galbi-cut beef short ribs (cut flanken-style)
2/3 cup Bibigo Original Korean BBQ Sauce or Bibigo Hot & Spicy Korean BBQ Sauce
Cooking oil

Ingredients for the Ssamjang

2 tbsp doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
1 tbsp Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce
1 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp onion, finely diced
1 scallion, sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Ingredients for the Wraps*

6–8 lettuce leaves
6–8 perilla leaves
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1–2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

*These are just estimates; use as much as you’d like to enjoy your ssam-making experience!

Procedure

Place short ribs in a zip-top plastic bag. Add marinade and coat meat. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes—I marinated mine overnight and they turned out so flavorful and delicious!

Combine ingredients for ssamjang into a small bowl and stir together. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready for serving. (Can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium-high. Add about 1 teaspoon of cooking oil, then add marinated short ribs in a single layer. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until meat looks seared. Flip and sear the other side. Repeat in batches, adding 1 teaspoon of cooking oil when necessary.

Serve galbi with other wrap ingredients at the table, family style. To make each wrap, use kitchen shears to cut away the bones and cut the galbi into small pieces. Spread ssamjang on a vegetable leaf to taste (I like to slather on a lot!), add a few pieces of galbi, and garnish as desired.

Thank you so much to Bibigo USA for sponsoring this recipe! For more recipe ideas and to learn more about their products, visit their website!