Wagyu Lettuce Wraps

Wagyu Lettuce Wraps

According to 8-year-old Grey, “The difference between try and triumph is a little UMPH!!”

Wagyu ground beef puts the UMPH into these crunchy Lettuce Cups. Lettuce Cups made with bland ground chicken or turkey are dependent on other ingredients to add flavor. By beginning with a Flavor Bomb of full body Wagyu our recipe for Lettuce Cups uses other ingredients as layers of texture and spice to “enhance” the delicious experience. Proteins choices like ground pork, a lesser beef or chicken are reliant on soy or miso for the Unami flavor that is part into our foundational ingredient, Wagyu Beef. Our bold reinvention of the traditional Lettuce Cup is a Triumph!

Yield: 6-8 servings

Time: 20 minutes, prep 15 minutes

This is a quick recipe and cooks rapidly. Do all prepping of lettuce and toppings ahead of time so when the Wagyu Beef mixture is complete the lettuce cup building is ready to begin. Set up a serve -yourself lettuce cup bar so you and others can customize your lettuce cup according to your individual creativity and taste profile.

Ingredients

2 pounds Cross Creek Ranch Wagyu Ground Beef (Full Blood or American Wagyu)
1/2 small finely chopped sweet onion
4 cloves finely minced garlic
1 heaping teaspoon grated FRESH ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoon finely chopped basil (Thai Basil, if available)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 seeded and finely chopped small jalapeno
1 (8 ounce can) of water chestnuts drained and chopped finely
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice from 1 fresh lime
3 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 tablespoons of Rice Vinegar
2 teaspoons chili sauce of your choice (reduce to ½ to 1 teaspoon for milder flavor)
½ teaspoon fish sauce  
2 heads of lettuce, washed a patted dry (Butter, Romaine, or Iceberg whatever your preference) 

 

Optional Items:  Carrots, spring onions, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro sprigs, basil leaves, white or black sesame seeds, wonton strips, dry roasted peanuts or cashews, kimchi

Thai sweet chili sauce, peanut sauce, Siracha, fresh lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef stirring until meat is brown and crumbly, 8-10 minutes, drain and discard some of the rendered fat, leaving about one cup for enhanced umami flavor.
  2. Once meat is brown (no pink) reduce heat to medium and add, chopped sweet onion, minced garlic, ginger basil, cilantro, chopped jalapeño, water chestnuts, soy sauce, lime juice, and hoisin sauce. Continually stirring to prevent vegetables from turning brown or burning, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add chili sauce and fish sauce, stirring and heat through, 2 to 3 minutes
  4. Fill each lettuce leaf with 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of meat mixture, adding desire toppings and serve warm.
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