My introduction to Gochujang was through a friend who is a chef at a fancy retirement home. He was trained by some of the best in the business but due to his growing family he likes the decent steady pay and more importantly the regular normal hours of the business to spend time with his kids. He got together with a lot of chefs like chefs do and while many respect him (I'm often surprised walking into restaurants with him how many chefs come out to greet him and talk to him like he's the godfather) a few were ribbing him if he was serious about being a chef he would open his own business and or win a few competitions. Low an behold he wasn't going to give up his kids time but he'd go head to head with them in competitions and proceeded to mop the floor with them as he racked up win after win. The biggest annual competition the runner up and champion would fly to CA wine country and they would meet celebrity chefs (who would proceed to take their recipe, change an ingredient and make it their own) and they could not compete the following year. If someone managed to win a third they would not be able to compete in the competition again but would qualify for a judge. Not to worry because no one had won more than once.
Low and behold I was able to make it to my friends third win in his 6th year (3rd eligible) as he took back to back wins in years he was eligible. I brought a cousin and one of her friends from Manhattan who grew up more affluent and said he is very much a foodie and eaten at a lot of high end places and just because my friend got us free tickets he would probably not vote for him to not seem preferred as thanks for the ticket. He made a simple gochujang sauce (essentially Korean BBQ) grilled it in front of everybody, set it on Bibb lettuce, with pickled red onion a few bean sprouts and one other veggie that I can't remember). Anyway, I watched skinny girls come back for 2nds and 3rds as his table was devoured like buzzards mobbing a carcass on an episode of Marlin Perkins Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. My cousins friend was wide eyed and said he had his doubts but had no choice but to vote for my friend since it was so clear. So my friend won both the judges vote and the peoples choice. Since then I have always had Gochujang in my cupboard and I'll often just scoop enough paste in a bowl and add enough water so it's like a workable BBQ sauce and brush it on beef, chicken etc and just that and people will comment how it has some kick with a hint of sweet and think I spent a lot of time getting putting together a delicious sauce. Little do they know. Sriracha used to be my go to and since this experience, gochujang has pretty much taken it's place. Anyway Without further to do.
INGREDIENTS
LETTUCE WRAPS INGREDIENTS:
1 pound protein choice (beef,chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu*), sliced into bite-sized pieces
sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper for season
1 tablespoon oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
8–10 butter/Bibb lettuce leaves
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1 cup shredded or Juliane carrots (screw the gadgets, see video for the fastest way to slice up carrots for this)
optional garnishes: thinly-sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds
EASY GOCHUJANG SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons gochujang paste Found Here or at virtually any Asian food section.
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup or (light clover honey,Blue agave syrup, brown sugar increase 1/4 tsp for granulated, basically your choice of sweetener but go easy if using Stevia)
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Taste and add any extra maple syrup (to sweeten) or gochujang (for spice) if would like.
2 Season the protein choice with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large sauté pan or wok over high heat. Add the steak and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the protein is browned and tender. Remove pan from heat and stir in half of the gochujang sauce until it has evenly coated the protein.
Assemble the lettuce wraps. Portion a spoonful of the saucy protein into each lettuce cup, topped with a few cucumbers and carrots, an extra small drizzle of the remaining sauce, and your desired garnishes.
Serve warm. And enjoy!
NOTE: I also love to top mine with a few bean sprouts and pickled red onion (see my Peurco Pibil recipe or quick google ) how to quick pickle red onion) or even some sweet pepper slices.