Sweet and Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

Sweet and Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

      

       Lettuce wraps have become a staple in our household.  My kids love them and so does my husband.  I think that is because it is an excuse to get messy and eat with your hands. These wraps are great with chicken, pork or even shrimp but tonight I chose sirloin tip steak.  It is a lean and economical cut that is great for stir-fry or marinating.  There is no need to marinate for this dish because the meat is cut into bite sized pieces, but I do tenderize it with a mallet first.  

        I love to add the diced mushrooms.  They are meaty and bulk up the filling so I can use less beef.  With two growing boys my grocery bill is continuously expanding and this trick seems to work perfectly for this dish. 

       I usually serve these with Butter lettuce but the store didn't have what I wanted so instead I found mini heads of Iceberg. It isn't as nutritious but it worked great.  Serve this with homemade rice cakes and you have a healthy feel good meal.  

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Canola or light olive oil

1 1/2 lbs  Sirloin Tip Steak or Flank Steak, tenderized and cut into small bite sized pieces

2 C. White or Cremini Mushrooms, diced

1C. Carrots, chopped (I put mine in the food processor)

2 Green Onions, sliced small

1/2 Sweet Red Pepper, julienned

1 C. Chinese Snow Peas, julienned

Lettuce - Butter, Leaf, or baby Iceberg
Fresh Lime juice - to garnish if desired
Cilantro - to garnish if desired

Sauce

1/2 C.  Tamari or Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp.Rice Vinegar

2 tsp. Fresh Ginger

2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Dark Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. Honey

1/2 tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp. Cornstarch

1 Tbsp cold water plus 1 tsp. cold water

•  Season the beef with salt and pepper. 

•  In a small prep bowl add 1 tsp. water to 1 tsp. cornstarch and mix well. Set aside.

•  In a medium bowl whisk all of the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water.  Set aside half     of  the mixture (approx. 1/2 C) and place the other half in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a simmer on med/low.  Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stirring allowing to thicken.  Stir occasionally.

• Next heat 2 Tbsp. in a wok or large stir-fry pan on high until it is screaming hot.  Stir-fry the beef in thirds until just browned, about 2 -3 minutes.  (Removing each third and setting aside.)  
• After you have cooked all the beef add the mushrooms and brown.  Add the beef and juices back to the wok and bring to a simmer.  

• In the meantime in the small prep bowl add another tablespoon of cold water to a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix well.  Add this to the beef mixture, stir and let thicken.  If you want it thicker you can add more cornstarch/water a teaspoon at a time until desired thickness.   

•  Add the carrots, snow peas, sweet peppers and green onions.  Serve on lettuce, garnish as desired with lime juice and cilantro and drizzle with extra sauce.  
 

Enjoy!