Name: Sticky Korean BBQ beef & shiitake san choy bow
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon peanut oil; 500g lean beef mince; 100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 4 spring onions, sliced thinly; 1 iceberg lettuce, leaves separated (see notes below); 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds; steamed jasmine rice, coriander leaves and crunchy chilli oil, to serve; KOREAN BBQ SAUCE; ¼ cup (60ml) light soy sauce; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 teaspoons gochujang; 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger; 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons sesame oil

A fresh, flavour-packed twist on san choy bow, this quick dinner combines beef mince with shiitake mushrooms in a sticky Korean-style barbecue sauce. Served with crisp lettuce cups and plenty of fresh herbs, it’s a fast and satisfying weeknight meal.

Are you looking for more beef mince recipes, or more san choy bow ideas?

Ingredients

1 tablespoon peanut oil

500g lean beef mince

100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 spring onions, sliced thinly

1 iceberg lettuce, leaves separated (see notes below)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

steamed jasmine rice, coriander leaves and crunchy chilli oil, to serve

KOREAN BBQ SAUCE

¼ cup (60ml) light soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons gochujang

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Method

KOREAN BBQ SAUCE: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the beef mince and cook, breaking up with a spoon, for 5-6 minutes or until browned. Add the mushrooms, garlic and white parts of the onion and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms soften and any liquid has evaporated.

Pour over the Korean BBQ Sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes or until thick, sticky and glossy.

Spoon the beef mixture into a serving bowl. Serve with lettuce leaves, sesame seeds, steamed rice, remaining onion, coriander and chilli oil.

three plates with san choy bow beef lettuce cups, and two small bowls with sesame seeds and chilli paste

Can I make the san choy bow using a different mince?

Yes. You can swap the beef mince for chicken, pork or plant-based mince, if you like.

Lettuce cup tip

Soaking the lettuce in iced water while gently running water between the leaves helps separate them without tearing, giving you perfect lettuce cups to hold your san choy bow.

What is san choy bow?

San choy bow is a classic Chinese dish, traditionally made with pork or chicken mince with loads of hidden crunchy vegetables in a tasty savoury soy-based sauce, bundled up in fresh lettuce to serve. We’ve put a Korean-inspired twist on the recipe with our homemade sticky BBQ sauce, flavoured with gochujang, a Korean red chilli paste.

Where to buy gochujang

Gochujang is a fermented Korean chilli paste that can be found in Asian supermarkets, and in the Asian section of some supermarkets.

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Food stylist & recipe developer Lucy Busuttil

Lucy Busuttil is an experienced food stylist and recipe developer who has worked with leading brands in Australia's food media industry for over 15 years. After working as a chef for 15 years, Lucy transitioned into the food media. Her vast experience and understanding of food make her styling and recipe writing uniquely accessible. Lucy has worked across many lifestyle brands including The Australian Women's Weekly, Gourmet Traveller and Delicious.

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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