What grilled meat dish are they eating wrapped in lettuce leaves in the movie Tampopo?

Question

There is a scene in tampopo where the two main characters are sitting in a restaurant with a small grill on the table, topped with what looks like beef short ribs. The woman picks up the meat with chopsticks, arranges it on and rolls it in what looks like a lettuce leaf.

What is this dish called in English and Japanese, and how is it made? Is there a special marinade? Or is it just meat and lettuce?

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's a KOREAN dish sum yup sal, you get PLAIN pork belly strips, like fatter bacon slices and cook them with garlic on a small stove in the middle of the table. Once cooked you cut them into pieces about an inch wide. Then dip them in a small dish with sesame seed oil and salt. Then you put it in a lettuce leaf. They usually add rice or some other veggies then fold it and eat it. You can also dip it in a chili paste if you want.

Answer 2

It's a Korean dish. It can be short ribs but I've always had it as thinly sliced beef.

The marinade is as follows and I can't tell you the exact measurements because I always eyeball it. Just add the ingredients to taste and it'll be fine.

brown sugar
soy sauce
crushed garlic
sesame oil
dry sherry
finely sliced green onions
(I add crushed red pepper flakes or minced jalapeno, but it's not required)

You put the sliced beef in a zip lock bag or bowl with the marinade and leave it about 20 minutes (I prefer to marinate it longer). and then you can stir fry the meat although it's better if it's grilled over coals. It's also not bad on a Foreman type grill. Baste it with the remaining marinade.

It's traditionally served with lots of condiments...bean sprouts, rice, sliced jalapeno, kimchee which is a very spicy preserved cabbage and various ofther toppings.

It's easier to roll the lettuce if you cut out the stem in the middle (I usually use curly green leaf lettuce).

I've used this marinade on chicken but you have to let it sit longer (and hour or two or more) as it takes longer to penetrate the chicken. I like the marinade taste to be strong and I've left the meat in it for 24 hours on occasion.

Answer 3

Sounds like Bulgogi to me. A Korean dish that you wrap the meat and various vegetables in a lettuce leaf. You would probably have to go to a Korean market to get the marinade for the beef. Good stuff though, if it is cooked right!