Meat Candy in Lettuce Wraps: Reverse-Seared Pork Chops with Sticky Rice and Ssamjang Drizzle

A pork chop experiment turned flavor explosion. These bone-in beauties were brined for 48 hours, reverse-seared, butter-basted, and grilled to caramelized perfection—then sliced thin and wrapped in Boston lettuce with sticky rice, spicy pickles, and a thick ssamjang drizzle. It’s equal parts comfort food and Korean BBQ energy, built for hands-on eating and big flavor payoffs.

Lou LaMedica

Jul 15, 2025

Light Vibes

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Meat Candy in Lettuce Wraps: Reverse-Seared Pork Chops with Sticky Rice and Ssamjang Drizzle

🧂 The Brine

🔥 Reverse Sear + Grill Finish

🥬 Wrap Build

🌶 Ssamjang Drizzle

✌️ Final Notes

Meat Candy in Lettuce Wraps: Reverse-Seared Pork Chops with Sticky Rice and Ssamjang Drizzle

Sometimes you just want to make meat that eats like candy. These pork chops? That's exactly what they are—sweet, smoky, buttery bites of meat candy, sliced thin and tucked into Boston lettuce wraps with sticky rice, quick pickles, and a bold ssamjang-based drizzle.

The magic starts with a long brine—just kosher salt, brown sugar, and smoked paprika. That’s it. Over 48 hours, the chops give off liquid, then soak it right back in. They get seasoned all the way to the bone and develop a subtle cured texture that’s perfect for a reverse sear.

🧂 The Brine

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 bone-in pork chops, 1.5" thick

Mix the dry brine together and coat the chops generously on all sides. Place them in a shallow dish or zip-top bag. After a few hours, they’ll start to release liquid—flip them halfway through the brine. Total brine time: 48 hours in the fridge. I left mine uncovered for a bit of that dry-aged vibe.

🔥 Reverse Sear + Grill Finish

Let the chops sit out for 30 minutes to take the chill off.

Preheat your oven to 300°F.

Set chops on a wire rack over a baking sheet and roast until they hit 125°F internally (about 25–35 minutes).

Finish them hot and fast on a grill or cast iron skillet:

Sear 1 minute per side

Add 2 tbsp butter and 2 smashed garlic cloves to the pan or grill-safe skillet

Tilt and baste until glossy and golden

Let the chops rest for 5–10 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.

🥬 Wrap Build

Each wrap gets:

A fresh Boston lettuce leaf

A spoonful of Korean sticky rice

Sliced pork (still warm and buttery)

Quick Asian pickles

A thick ssamjang drizzle (see below)

Optional: toasted sesame seeds or scallions

🌶 Ssamjang Drizzle

1 tbsp ssamjang

1 tsp honey

1 tsp sesame oil

1–2 tsp hot water (just enough to thin it into a pourable, thick sauce)

Stir until smooth and glossy. Adjust with more water if needed.

✌️ Final Notes

This one feels like the best of both worlds—BBQ soul meets Korean street food. Rich pork, crisp lettuce, sticky rice, punchy sauce. It’s messy in the best way, and it absolutely slaps.

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