How To Enjoy Ssam: Korean Lettuce Wraps
This is just a simple base recipe for the ssamjang. Feel free to add toasted pine nuts, chopped pecans or walnuts or peanuts! They add great texture!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the green onion salad:
- 10 to 12 green onions finely shredded or sliced lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes) + more if desired
- sesame seeds
For the ssamjang:
- 1/4 heaping cup doenjang (fermented soy bean paste)
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- green onions diced for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
For the ssam (lettuce wraps):
- lettuce red leaf, green leaf, romaine or Bibb lettuce
- perilla leaves optional
- grilled pork belly
- sesame oil optional; for drizzling
- kimchi optional
Instructions
For the green onion salad:
- Soak the shredded green onions in cold water for a few minutes. Rinse and drain and place into a mixing bowl.
- Add in the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar (if using) and gochugaru. Toss together. Taste and adjust any ingredients as necessary. Lightly sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds over the top, mix together one last time and set aside.
For the ssamjang:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together, taste and adjust anything as needed. Garnish with the diced green onions and sesame seeds and set aside.
For the ssam (lettuce wraps):
- To assemble: Place a Korean perilla leaf (if using) into a piece of lettuce and top with 1 or 2 pieces of pork belly. Top with a little of the green onion salad and a bit of the ssamjang. (Some people like to also add some kimchi on top but this is not traditional.) Fold up and enjoy! Koreans usually place the entire lettuce wrap into their mouths at one time.
Notes
For the pork belly:
-
Use a heated tabletop grill (or in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop), cook the pork belly for a few minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. As the pork belly pieces are cooked and finished, start assembling your lettuce wraps.