One of my favorite dishes to order when I’m at either a Thai restaurant or a contemporary Asian-fusion restaurant is lettuce wraps – chicken or beef. I created a few versions of my own and they are really simple to make, especially if you lay out all the ingredients in front of you.
The key is to cook quickly in a very hot pan. Both recipes below use “cooked” chicken or ground beef so it’s perfect for leftovers. If you only have fresh on hand, cook the ground beef or chicken the way you normally would, let it cool and in the case of the chicken, simply chop it up or tear into small pieces. For the ground beef, cook it until there is no pink color left in the meat.
The addition of the raw red bell peppers and scallions not only give it color but also provide a nice bright juicy crunch. I have provided a super delicious Asian Dipping Sauce that you will add to the dish while it’s cooking and then use it as a sauce to spoon over your wraps. This sauce is fantastic on eggs, over a steak, as a salad dressing and a perfect marinade for pork, chicken or duck. Extremely versatile. I like to fill the lettuce wraps, sprinkle with black & white sesame seeds and garnish the plate with some lime wedges and a ramekin of extra dipping sauce.
ASIAN SPICY BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS – Makes 8 Lettuce Wraps
1 ½ cups cooked and seasoned ground beef or chicken (approximately 12 ounces)
1 medium-large shallot, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Asian Dipping Sauce (see recipe)
2 scallions, trimmed, sliced in half lengthwise and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips (julienne)
8 Boston lettuce leaves (or butter lettuce, iceberg)
Add ground beef to hot pan with a tablespoon of canola oil. Add shallots, ginger, jalapeno, lime juice, sugar and salt. Toss to combine. Cook for 1 minute over high heat. Add sauce and toss to combine. Add red pepper and scallions, toss and serve immediately.
ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE (for Asian Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps)
Yield: 1 ½ cups
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1 jalapeno, sliced into thin rings
½ cup toasted sesame oil
¼ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients except the oils. While vigorously whisking the liquid, slowly drizzle the sesame oil to emulsify. Then add canola all at once and whisk together. Can be stored in refrigerator for 4-6 weeks. ENJOY!
Michael Love is the Executive Chef for both Epicure locations in South Florida and is the author of “The Salvage Chef Cookbook” (Skyhorse Press, November 2014). Like him on Facebook (MiamiChefMichael) and follow on Instagram & Twitter @lovecancook.
