Korean Lettuce Wraps

My summer vacation is officially over.  Actually, it's been over for more than two weeks.  The Hawaii school year seems to begin while most of the northern hemisphere is still enjoying the dog days of summer.

So once again, the dilemma of packing a lunch presents itself.  I really don't enjoy making sandwiches.  Seems like a lot of dishes for a mediocre output.  Leftovers are a better choice for me, and a great way to use up leftover barbecue (beef, chicken or, my favorite, pork) is to make lettuce wraps.  My last post, Korean spicy bbq pork, is what I normally use for lettuce wraps.

The Help remembers having lettuce wraps as a kid.  He said they did a simple one where they put rice and some shoyu on a lettuce leaf.  D1, before she was rat lung worm-phobic, couldn't get enough of the minced chicken lettuce wraps from Hilo Rice Noodle.  We would need to buy 2 orders...1 for her and the other one for the rest of us.

For the neatest lettuce wraps, use Manoa lettuce.  The leaves are soft enough to mold around the filling, but not so soft that it will disintegrate.  I've seen it described as a leafy, bibb-type lettuce.  It is readily available in supermarkets here, and I usually buy the hydroponically grown type sold in the giant plastic bubble (takes up lots of space in the vegetable bin).  If Manoa lettuce isn't available, a boston or bibb lettuce will work.  A leafy lettuce would also do fine.  I had The Keeper over for sake sipping and served lettuce wraps using organically-grown baby Romaine.  That worked out well, since the leaves were just the right size to hold a golf ball-size rice clump and some meat slivers.  But please don't use iceberg lettuce...that would be more appropriate for minced chicken.

What makes these lettuce wraps really tasty is the sauce.  I used to buy kochojun, until my friend's mom shared her sister's recipe for the homemade stuff.  It's infinitely better than the store-bought variety.  My dad even uses it to make his own taegu.  Of course, if you're not so ambitious and don't want tubs of kochojun in the fridge, buying it in small jars is the sensible alternative.  The sauce (you can see some of it on the rice in the pictures above and below) has some kochojun in it, and I think it adds a nice flavor to the wraps.  But my dad prefers to use straight kochojun.  He smears it on the lettuce leaf before adding the rice. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Korean Lettuce Wraps

     Manoa lettuce, separated

     cooked rice
     strips of cooked, seasoned beef, pork, or chicken 

     3 oz shoyu

     1 tbsp kochojun (gochujang)

     1 1/2 tsp sugar

     1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar

     chopped green onion

Combine all ingredients except lettuce, rice, and meat.  To eat, place rice and desired meat on lettuce leaf.  Spoon sauce over.  Wrap up and eat.

 
It's been a little over two years since my mom passed.  Although I still miss her dearly, I feel like some normalcy and routine have returned to my life.  I'm hoping to post more frequently since I'm cooking more now (I have another mouth to feed during the work week).  Over the past few years, I've become more adept at knitting, something which would have made KikukatMom proud.  While I will continue to share favorite recipes, I hope to also share my knitting triumphs, fails, WIPs and FOs.
    

Korean Spicy BBQ Pork

Gaaaah!  Today is my last day of vacation.  Talk about a real bummer.  I guess my total house cleaning will need to wait until my next break.  Oops...I won't be around for the next big break, so we can put off house cleaning until winter vacation.

I spent a good chunk of the summer working, but I really cannot grumble about that because I have a bunch of trips planned, and the extra $ will come in handy.

The Ds made it safely back from Russia and Japan; it was always in the back of my mind that they would be detained in Russia so I'm very relieved.  D1 also made it safely back to AZ.  She seems to be settled into her new digs, although she was splitting her time between both places so she could help clean the kitchen.  I was proud to hear that she was doing her part and sharing in the move-out cleaning duties, but then it hit me...how come she never offered to clean the kitchen here?

I did manage to take a trip to Oahu during my vacation for my cousin's wedding.  KikukatDad came along, and we were lucky enough to stay with UMiles in his new home.  When I grow up, that's the kind of place I want to have....huge kitchen, lots of storage, and tons of bathrooms!  It would have been nice to play with my youngest relative, Cody, but he was attending a wedding in Long Beach that weekend.  Cody isn't even eating solid food yet, but the kiddo has logged in more traveling miles than many adults I know!  UMiles deserves a huge shout out.  Not only did he chauffeur us around, but he took the hit from KikukatDad for all kinds of stuff.  He did it all with a smile (and sometimes a head shake).

My cousin's wedding was absolutely gorgeous.  The ceremony was at her picturesque home on the windward side.  They were married at the poolside gazebo which had been decorated with tulle and fresh flowers.  She must've been a good girl because the weather held up just long enough for Judge Sakamoto to marry them.  We toasted the newlyweds with flutes of Prosecco and sparkling cider.  Then the sky opened up.

Thankfully, the reception was at Ruth's Chris Steak House on the other side of the island, so we were able to escape from the rain.  I enjoyed the reception immensely, as we were given the luxury of selecting our entree.  I could not pass up the rib eye.  Of course, it was just too large for me to finish.  KikukatDad could not finish his rib eye either.  UMiles chose the fish option, as he had just regaled KikukatDad and me with tales of how beef/anything from the cow is bad for the health.

So with summer vacation over, I plan to mope a bit over the next few days/weeks.  It's just something I do every year.  My classroom is still not set up, and I have no desire to rush in to get everything set.  I'm hoping that the kind folks who took down my room at the ending of the school year kept everything in good order.

I will definitely miss the warm days, hanging out on the patio, the smell of food on a hibachi, and not having to worry about lesson plans and meetings.  In spite of my battle with GERD at the beginning of summer, I did do a lot of good eating (I just couldn't eat much).  The Help and I visited Shiono a few times.  They make a great salmon skin salad.  I was fortunate enough to be invited over to dinner by a coworker.  She and her husband made us (me and The Keeper) okonomiyaki.  Their version was much better than what I had in Japan.  They used a generous amount of bacon and poured some really good sake alongside.  Thanks to The Keeper, I got my bon dance andagi fix, and along with Nakaz and DHS we even managed to squeeze in an MKB brunch.

I did some pretty good cooking too.  We enjoyed Caprese salad several times, thanks to the thriving basil in the whiskey barrel garden.  The Help and KikukatDad enjoyed some grilled spicy pork.  Because the pork is marinated, it can be prepared in advance.  The pork I purchase for this is sliced "teriyaki" style, so somewhere between 1/8"-1/4". 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Korean Spicy BBQ Pork

     1 1/2 lb thin sliced pork (not paper thin!)

     1 tbsp grated ginger

     2 tbsp sugar

     1 tbsp sesame seeds, ground

     1 tbsp sesame seed oil

     4 tbsp kochujang

     2 tbsp green onions, chopped

     4 cloves garlic, minced

     1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients except sliced pork.  Coat pork slices well and marinate at least 2 hours (overnight is best).  Grill pork slices.  Slice in strips to serve.