Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey Ssam & Bibimbap
남은 터키 쌈 비빔밥·(nam-eun teo-ki ssam bi-bim-bap)
First-Generation Sunday Suppers: Gatherings & Feasts
Thanksgiving in an immigrant household is a beautiful, colliding mess of cultures. Your mother wrestles a dry, giant bird into the oven so you feel American, but by Friday morning, palate fatigue sets in. You want garlic. You want sesame oil. You want the sharp, fermented heat of the homeland. This is a grandmother's brilliant, zero-waste trick to resurrect that dry meat by shredding it by hand and hitting it with a quick bulgogi-style marinade. You start by wrapping the sizzling meat in crisp lettuce, and finish by throwing whatever is left into a bowl with rice and gochujang, aggressively mixing it into bibimbap. It requires minimal actual cooking, clears out your fridge, and delivers the deep, intuitive comfort you've been craving all weekend.
Ingredients
- leftover Thanksgiving turkey4 cup
- soy sauce3 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil2 tbsp
- garlic3 small clove
- brown sugar2 tbsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- zucchini1 med
- carrots2 med
- fresh shiitake mushrooms1 cup
- baby spinach3 cup
- vegetable oil2 tbsp
- salt1/2 tsp
- gochujang3 tbsp
- rice vinegar1 tbsp
- water2 tbsp
- red leaf lettuce1 large head
- perilla leaves1 bunch
- ssamjang1/2 cup
- short-grain white rice4 cup
- large eggs4 large
Method
- 01
Shred the leftover turkey by hand.
Do not use a knife; tearing the meat along its natural muscle fibers creates jagged edges that drink up the marinade and revive the dry bird.
- 02
Marinate the turkey.
Toss the shredded meat vigorously in a bowl with the soy sauce, one tablespoon of sesame oil, minced garlic, one tablespoon of brown sugar, and black pepper, massaging the liquids in with your bare hands.
- 03
Sauté the vegetables sequentially in a single large skillet.
Over medium-high heat with a drop of vegetable oil, cook the zucchini with a pinch of salt until slightly softened, then transfer to a platter. Repeat this quick process for the carrots, then the mushrooms (adding a tiny splash of soy sauce at the end if you like), and finally the spinach, tossing just until wilted.
- 04
Sizzle the marinated turkey.
Wipe the skillet clean, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium-high, and drop in the turkey in an even layer. Let it sit untouched for 45 seconds to caramelize the sugar, then toss for another 2 to 3 minutes until piping hot and fragrant.
- 05
Whisk together the gochujang sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the gochujang, rice vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil, the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar, and a splash of water until it reaches a thick, drizzly consistency.
- 06
Fry the eggs sunny-side up.
Fry them in a splash of oil until the whites have crispy edges but the yolks remain runny, ready to act as a secondary sauce for the rice.
- 07
Serve interactively.
Start by assembling the hot meat and ssamjang in perilla and lettuce leaves. Once everyone has had their fill of wraps, transition to the bowls, throwing the remaining turkey, vegetables, a fried egg, and a heavy drizzle of gochujang sauce over hot sticky rice, piercing the yolk and mixing aggressively before eating.
Notes
Stick to short-grain rice.
Long-grain Jasmine or Basmati will not clump properly for bibimbap or sit securely inside a lettuce wrap.
Do not substitute the gochujang.
Sriracha lacks the earthy, fermented depth required here; gochujang is a non-negotiable pantry staple.
Making a quick ssamjang proxy.
If you cannot find a tub of ssamjang, mix two tablespoons of doenjang (or miso) with a tablespoon of gochujang, a clove of minced garlic, a splash of sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar.
From Cook Korean in America.