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Argentina, Americas · Chimichurri Steak

Perilla Chimichurri Soy Steak Lettuce Wraps

Argentina meets Korea: pear-and-soy marinated steak wrapped in lettuce with a perilla and spring onion chimichurri and ssamjang.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time25 min
Marinating+ 30 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Grate the pear and mix it with the soy sauce, brown sugar, grated garlic, sesame oil and pepper. Pat the steak dry, coat both sides with the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Enzymes in the pear tenderise the meat, but after 2 hours the texture turns mushy.

    Add in this stepAsian pear (grated) 50 gSoy sauce (for the marinade) 1½ tbspBrown sugar 1 tspGarlic (cloves, for the marinade) 1Toasted sesame oil (for the marinade) 1 tspBlack pepper to tasteBeef steak (sirloin or strip loin, 2 cm thick) 400 g

  2. Roll up the perilla leaves, shred them and chop finely, then finely chop the parsley, spring onions and garlic. Mix with the chili flakes, vinegar, soy sauce, neutral oil, sesame oil and sesame seeds to make the perilla chimichurri. Leave it for at least 10 minutes so the flavours come together.

    Add in this stepPerilla leaves 10Flat-leaf parsley 10 gSpring onions 2Garlic (cloves, for the sauce) 1Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) ½ tspRice vinegar 1½ tbspSoy sauce (for the sauce) 1 tspNeutral oil (for the sauce) 3 tbspToasted sesame oil (for the sauce) 1 tspToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

  3. Lightly wipe the marinade off the meat with kitchen paper; the sugar burns quickly if you leave it on. Heat the oil in a 24 cm frying pan over medium-high heat, add the steak and cook for in total, turning every minute. Medium is 60°C in the centre. If the pan is small, cook in two batches.

    Add in this stepCooking oil (for searing) 1 tbsp

    medium-high heat

  4. Move the steak to a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for .

  5. Slice thinly against the grain, about 5 mm, and arrange on a plate. Wrap a slice in a lettuce leaf with a little ssamjang and a spoonful of perilla chimichurri.

    Add in this stepLettuce leaves or romaine 120 gSsamjang (Korean dipping paste) 2 tbsp

Cook's tip

On high heat the marinade burns and turns bitter, so stick to medium-high. No Asian pear? Grated apple works too. Add a bowl of rice to make it a full meal, and spoon leftover chimichurri over bibimbap or pan-fried tofu.

Cooking it at camp

This is made for a charcoal grill. Marinate the steak at home and carry it in a zip bag in the cool box so it marinates on the way. Marinade burns faster over coals, so cook at the cooler edge of the grill and turn often.