Korean Beef & Lettuce Cabbage Stir-fry
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
This beef and ssamchu stir-fry adds the firm stems and tender leaves at different times so neither determines the cooking time of the other.
Read more
Toss 350 g of thin beef with 2 tablespoons each of dark soy sauce and pear juice, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and half of the sesame oil. Leave it for 10 minutes. Separate 220 g of ssamchu into stems and leaves and cut both into 3 cm strips; slice the onion thinly and the Cheongyang chili on the diagonal. Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a very hot pan and stir-fry the onion for about 1 minute, allowing only the edges to become translucent. Add the beef together with its marinade and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, separating clumps as the liquid reduces. When the meat has no red color and the seasoning forms a glossy coating, add the ssamchu stems first. Toss them for 1 minute, then add the leaves and chili for only 1 more minute. Stop as the leaves just begin to wilt. Turn off the heat, mix in the remaining sesame oil, and transfer the stir-fry before the stems lose their crunch or the leaves release more moisture.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Toss 350 g thin-sliced beef with 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp pear juice, 1 tbsp minced garlic, black pepper, and half the sesame oil. Let it marinate for 10 minutes so the beef seasons evenly.
- 2Heat
Cut 220 g ssamchu into 3 cm strips, keeping the firmer stems separate from the leaves.
Thinly slice the onion, then slice the Cheongyang chili on the diagonal so it spreads through the stir-fry quickly.
- 3Control
Heat a pan over high heat until it feels hot above the surface, then add 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Add the onion and stir-fry for about 1 minute, just until the edges turn translucent but do not brown.
- 4Control
Add the marinated beef with its sauce and keep the heat high so it sears instead of steaming.
Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, separating clumps, until the beef cooks through and the sauce reduces to a glossy coating.
- 5Heat
Add the ssamchu stems first and toss quickly for 1 minute so they soften slightly while staying crisp.
Add the leaves and Cheongyang chili, then stir-fry for only 1 more minute, just until the leaves begin to wilt.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat and drizzle in the remaining sesame oil, tossing with the residual heat only.
Serve immediately while the beef is glossy, the aroma is fresh, and the ssamchu still has moisture and a light crunch.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Ssamchu soegogi-bokkeum uses pear juice to tenderize beef before folding in leafy lettuce cabbage.
- Finish cue
- Serve immediately while the beef is glossy, the aroma is fresh, and the ssamchu still has moisture and a light crunch.
- Avoid this
- Add the onion and stir-fry for about 1 minute, just until the edges turn translucent but do not brown.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
30min, 10 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Korean Bulgogi Mushroom Rice Bowl
thin-sliced beef, onion
Korean Steamed Bulgogi with Cabbage
thin-sliced beef, onion
Korean Andong-style Soy Bulgogi
thin-sliced beef, onion