For the beef:

• 1 ½ pounds Ribeye Steak, Crescent Steak or Chuck Filet
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons unrefined sugar
• ⅓ cup stout or porter
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 Asian pear, peeled and grated

For serving:

•  cooked sushi rice
•  large lettuce leaves
•  scallions, chopped
•  slivered chiles
•  fresh herbs, like Thai basil, shiso, mint (you could add cilantro, but it’s not a traditional Korean herb)
•  radishes, thinly sliced
•  baby carrots, peeled and quartered
•  Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced and marinated briefly with seasoned rice vinegar
•  chile flakes
•  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
•  ssamchang, gochuchang, sriracha, or other chili sauce

 

Slice & Marinate the Steak

Slice steak across the grain in 1/4″ strips. This is easier to do if the steak is partially frozen. If you’ve already defrosted your steak, wrap it in plastic and place it in the freezer while you put together the marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, beer, garlic, scallions, pepper, sesame oil, honey and Asian pear. Take the steak out of the freezer and slice it across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Stir the steak into the marinade and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill

Build a very hot fire or preheat a gas grill to its highest setting — allow 20-25 minutes for it to really get hot.

Assemble the sides

Set out dishes of the lettuce, rice and vegetable toppings while you wait for the grill to heat up.

Sear the meat

When the grill is very hot, sear the steak until nicely caramelized, 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Work in batches to avoid crowding the meat. Transfer to a platter

To serve

Set meat and condiments on the table and assemble ssam (Korean-style wraps): fold a piece of steak or two, some rice, vegetables and herbs inside a lettuce leaf.