We’ve officially reached that point in the year when life slows to an overheated crawl. Any sense of urgency seeps, along with copious amounts of sweat, out of every pore, and the extent of my dinner ideas is “cold? crunchy? no oven? cold?” (Even my brain functions more slowly in this swamp-like heat.)
But every now and then, I find a recipe that jolts me out of my late-summer doldrums. These spicy steak lettuce wraps were everything I was looking for — cold, crunchy, no oven — but also spicy, bright, fresh, punchy and surprisingly filling, in a way that didn’t lead me to a bowl of ice cream an hour later.
Steak strips take a quick dip in a bath of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and most importantly, chili-garlic paste, fresh ginger and scallions (I LOVE this combo). Then, they get a quick sear in a very hot pan, and that’s all the cooking you need to do.
Meanwhile, let’s talk about the cucumber-carrot concoction that goes on top. Julienned carrots and cucumbers (plus red onion, if you, unlike me, remember to actually buy them at the grocery store) are tossed with a very quick chili-garlic paste + rice wine vinegar + toasted sesame oil dressing that has become my new favorite summer slaw. It’s crunchy and punchy and spicy and tangy and everything I want on an impossibly hot day. Seriously, tossed with a bit of cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice, I think this could be the new salad of my dreams.*
These steak lettuce wraps are an ideal weeknight dinner, since nothing requires much work or time (and you can marinate the steak for less than an hour if you’re in a big rush). But I think they’d also be a fun dish for a small party, setting out all of the individuals components and letting your friends assemble as desired.
I didn’t have any (see: melted brain –> incomplete shopping trip), but topping the wraps with cilantro and/or crushed peanuts would really take things to the next level. Even without them, this dinner is the perfect way to snap yourself out of this heat haze!
*I don’t actually dream about salad, I promise. I save all my dreams for cherry cheesecake bars and bourbon cocktails.
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PinIngredients
For the marinade
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (preferably low-sodium)
- 2 tablespoons chili-garlic paste (I used Lan Chi but any blend will do)
- 1 scallion stalk, chopped
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
For the lettuce wraps
- 2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 cup julienned cucumbers
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
- 24 large Boston or romaine lettuce leaves, washed thoroughly and patted dry
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (optional)
- 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- In a large Ziploc bag, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, chili-garlic paste, scallions, ginger and sesame oil. Coat the sirloin steak strips in the marinade, close the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, setting the marinade aside. Sear the steak strips, tossing frequently, for 2-3 minutes (or to your desired doneness). Remove from skillet and set aside to cool.
- Add the marinade to the skillet and bring to a vigorous boil for 3 minutes. It should thicken and become slightly sticky. Toss it with the cooked steak strips.
- In the bottom of a medium bowl, combine the chili-garlic paste, toasted sesame oil and rice wine vinegar until it forms a dressing. Add the cucumbers, carrots and red onions, then toss to combine.
- Build your lettuce wraps: place two lettuce leaves on top of each other (this is mostly for structural integrity). Add the steak strips and top with the carrot-cucumber mixture. Top with peanuts or cilantro if desired. Eat and repeat and invite me over please!
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