This recipe happened by accident. My mom made cutlets for me — the kind you don’t say no to — and I had three big ones left over that I didn’t really want to eat again the same way. But throwing them out was not an option. So I started chopping.
I’m coming off a 21-day water-only fast, which means my stomach is still waking back up. I’m trying to eat more vegetables, keep the oil low, and avoid heavy carbs while my body readjusts. So the goal was: use the cutlets, pack in as many vegetables as I can, and keep the whole thing light.
What came out of the pan surprised me. The chopped cutlets broke down into something softer than ground meat — almost like a savory crumble — and when the brussels sprouts and zucchini mixed in, it turned into this smoky, earthy, surprisingly flavorful filling. The liquid smoke pulled everything together.
And then the lettuce. I ripped leaves off a head of lettuce, spooned the filling in, rolled them up, and ate them Korean ssam-style. One bite and I was genuinely shocked. This was good. Not “good for leftovers” good — actually good. The crunch of the lettuce against the warm smoky filling, the cajun from the brussels sprouts giving it a little kick — I kept making more wraps until the pan was empty.
Sometimes the best recipes come from just not wanting to waste food. This is one of those.
What you need
- 3 large leftover breaded cutlets (~382 g) — chicken, pork, or whatever you have
- 1 whole onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ tbsp olive oil (just enough to start the onions)
- Salt to taste
- 340 g cooked brussels sprouts (I used ones seasoned with cajun — highly recommend)
- 196 g raw zucchini
- A splash of liquid smoke
- Lettuce leaves — any kind that’s sturdy enough to wrap (I used green leaf lettuce)
How to make it
1. Caramelize the onion. Heat ¼ tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft — about 8–10 minutes.
2. Chop the cutlets. While the onion cooks, pulse the leftover cutlets in a food processor (I use the KitchenAid — makes this absurdly fast) until they break down into a coarse, ground-meat-like texture. Don’t over-process — you want some texture, not paste.
3. Cook the meat with the onion. Add the chopped cutlets to the caramelized onion and stir together over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. The breading softens into the mixture, and you get this savory crumble that’s softer than regular ground meat.
4. Chop the vegetables. Pulse the cooked brussels sprouts and raw zucchini in the food processor until roughly chopped — small pieces, not mush.
5. Combine everything. Add the chopped vegetables to the pan with the meat and onion. Stir and fry together for a few minutes — no extra oil needed. Add a splash of liquid smoke, stir, then cover and let it cook for another 5–7 minutes until everything is heated through and the flavors meld.
6. Prep the lettuce. Pull leaves off a head of lettuce, rinse them briefly, and pat dry.
7. Wrap and eat. Spoon filling into a lettuce leaf, roll it up, and eat it with your hands — Korean ssam style. That’s it. That’s the whole thing.
Notes
- The KitchenAid food processor is the real MVP here — chopping three cutlets and two types of vegetables by hand would take forever. If you don’t have one, a regular food processor or even a sharp knife and some patience will work.
- The cajun seasoning on the brussels sprouts does a lot of heavy lifting. If your sprouts are plain, add a pinch of cajun or smoked paprika when you combine everything.
- This is extremely low-oil — the only fat is the ¼ tbsp at the start and whatever was in the original cutlets. It doesn’t taste low-oil though.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2–3 days. Just reheat the filling and wrap fresh lettuce leaves when you’re ready to eat.
- You can swap the lettuce for cabbage leaves (blanch them first) or even use perilla leaves if you want to go full Korean.
This is part of everything I cook — come see what else is happening in my kitchen.