KBBQ Perilla Wraps
This recipe is a nod to the proliferation and popularity of Korean barbecue in California, as well as the state’s abundance of greens and herbs.
Serves4
As part of Kitchn’s celebration of all things California, we asked 19 cooks from various disciplines — chefs, photographers, writers — to see what dish they think best embodies California home cooking in 2019. See all the recipes here.
Second-generation farmer Aaron Choi grows obscure produce for some of the top chefs in Los Angeles at Girl & Dug farm, located just north of San Diego. His lettuce wrap, which is piled full of greens and simply grilled meat, nods to the proliferation and popularity of Korean barbecue in California, as well as the state’s abundance of greens and herbs.
KBBQ Perilla Wraps
This recipe is a nod to the proliferation and popularity of Korean barbecue in California, as well as the state’s abundance of greens and herbs.
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the onion salad:
- 1 bunch
Tokyo negi or scallions
- 1 head
red or green leaf lettuce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted sesame oil
Distilled white vinegar
Optional: white sesame seeds, sugar, and / or gochujang
For the dipping sauce:
- 1 tablespoon
toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
coarse or kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
For the wrap:
- 1 pound
thinly sliced skinless pork belly (1/8 to 1/4-inch thick), or thinly sliced beef brisket
- 1 bunch
perilla (Korean sesame leaf)
- 1 head
red or green leaf lettuce
- 1 head
romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch
mustard greens
- 1 bunch
frilly red mustard greens
- 1 bunch
chicory (or you can sub in endive or escarole)
- 1 bunch
blood or French sorrel
- 1 bunch
fresh chrysanthemum leaves
Instructions
Make the onion salad: Cut the negi into 3 to 4-inch lengths. Thinly slice the sections lengthwise, using only the white stems (greens are optional). Soak the slices in cold water for at least 15 minutes to reduce the onion's spiciness. Meanwhile, cut the red leaf lettuce into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
Drain the negi. Add the negi to the bowl of lettuce. Season with salt, pepper, sesame oil, and a splash of vinegar to taste. A little vinegar goes a long way in this recipe. For a sweet and spicy kick, sprinkle with sesame seeds and add sugar and gochujang to taste.
Make the dipping sauce: Stir all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until the salt is dissolved.
Make the wraps: Cook the sliced meat to desired temperature. It's best grilled, but any method will do.
To assemble a wrap, make a stack of greens with a leaf from each of the 8 greens, starting with the largest leaf on the bottom. Top with a slice of pork belly and a bite-size portion of the onion salad. Roll it up and serve with the sauce for dipping.
Recipe Notes
Recipe courtesy of Aaron Choi, Girl & Dug Farm.