09 Apr
Recipe Mastery: Lettuce Wraps
Remember my Recipe Mastery project? Well I found my favorite Beef Stew (I’m working on a summary post now where I’ll talk about what I tried and what I liked/disliked) and for my next recipe I’m going to tackle lettuce wraps. I’ve tried different recipes from Pinterest in the past, but nothing has been what I’m looking for.
I’m looking for something I can make on Friday evening and use for meals throughout the weekend. It would also be great to have a recipe that I can make when we are having people over which would allow people to customize their own wrap as we eat. It seems like this is a recipe where I could make some components ahead of time and then reheat as needed. I know lettuce wraps seem a simple thing to want to address, but I’m specifically interested in the meat and the sauces. How is the meat cooked and season? What type of meat is best? What are the different sauce options and how are they made? How can I create something that fits my diet (mainly vegetables/meats/fats/fruits) but will contain some sort of carbohydrate to fill those who aren’t limiting carbohydrates?
If you have a favorite recipe, link to it below! I’ll post a summary of my attempts as well as my favorite recipe once I choose a winner.
Also:
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
This is my favorite recipe! I use chicken breast but imagine using a rotisserie chicken would work great as well! http://instagram.com/p/RdbjN7hASH/
1Jenna,
2Here’s my own creation. I used tempeh (premarinated) for mine, and used chicken (simply seasoned) for my husband’s. The meat can be made ahead. As can the sauce. I’m particularly fond of my sauce. But as with any recipe, you must customize it to suit your tastes — spicy, sweet, whatever. The toppers of veggies (peppers, sprouts, carrots) all can be chopped/sliced ahead, too.
Enjoy! http://midwesternmusings.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/takeout-fake-out/
~Kayla
Totally cheating, but I swear by the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Lettuce Wrap sauce. http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Kum-Kee-Lettuce-8-Ounce/dp/B00473LOIS
It always turns out amazing, tastes pretty similar to P.F. Chang’s amazing lettuce wraps, and it is pretty easy. I get it at Cost Plus World Market usually, and it has the recipe on the back.
3Not sure if this is what you’re looking for but these are a favorite in my house. I definitely recommend using fresh ginger, and the water chestnuts are an awesome addition. I prefer them over the restaurant version they’re named after. http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/26/p-f-changs-lettuce-wraps-remade/
4It’s me again with the America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated suggestion! They recommend serving with white rice to make it a full meal for carb-eaters, and you could include dumplings on the side as well for company (do you have a Trader Joe’s near you? My favorites are their frozen chicken gyoza).
Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Published May 1, 2012. From Cook’s Illustrated.
Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as an appetizer
To make an entrée, serve this dish with steamed white rice.
Ingredients
Chicken
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
1/2 cup water chestnuts, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 head Bibb lettuce (8 ounces), washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole
Hoisin sauce
Instructions
1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Place chicken pieces on large plate in single layer. Freeze meat until firm and starting to harden around edges, about 20 minutes.
52. Whisk rice wine, soy sauce, oil, and cornstarch together in bowl. Pulse half of meat in food processor until coarsely chopped into ¼- to 1/8-inch pieces, about 10 pulses. Transfer meat to bowl with rice wine mixture and repeat with remaining chunks. Toss chicken to coat and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. FOR THE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; set aside.
4. FOR THE STIR-FRY: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.
5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until smoking. Add celery and mushrooms; cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms have reduced in size by half and celery is crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water chestnuts, scallion whites, and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk sauce to recombine. Return chicken to skillet; add sauce and toss to combine. Spoon into lettuce leaves and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve, passing hoisin sauce separately.
Lee Kum Kee is the best! Personally I really like to pick up grass fed ground lamb at the farmer’s market, and use Nom Nom Paleo’s lamb kebab recipe, but just pan-fry it. (I also make it as patties and grill on our george foreman for burgers). I use an organic spicy honey mustard sauce on top. But the lamb is so versatile! I make a batch of pan-fried lamb (just like hamburger) and save it for pizza toppings or breakfast tacos and freeze it in small batches. Here’s the recipe http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1345428318/recipe-lamb-kofta-kebabs
6These are my favorites: http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/26/p-f-changs-lettuce-wraps-remade/
7You know what? I actually use spring roll wrappers for my lettuce wraps. Just put whatever I want in there and it’s good to go whether it’s lettuce or shaved carrots or tofu or shrimp or meat. Let me know if you want some recipes.
8Ground turkey, hands down. Chopped other meat makes them weird, IMO.
9Do you have a crock pot? I make these a lot: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/crockpot-sweet-and-sour-chicken-with.html
I usually use half the jam, squeeze in an orange, and don’t add the red onion or cucumber to the pot-I keep them raw and top the wraps with them after. I like it a bit spicy so usually cut up one or two jalepenos to add.
I’ve also done lettuce wraps with lean pork chili verde, and tuna is always a favorite of mine with kalamata olives, roasted and marinated red peppers, and a cucumber.
10Two people have already posted the recipe, so I won’t. But I wanted to give a third vote to the P. F. Chang’s wrap! Yummmmy!!
11I don’t have a recipe but we used to make lettuce wraps and have coconut rice with them (just rice cooked with 1/2 coconut milk and 1/2 water) delish! and the coconut rice would go with a variety of different sauces. It reheats well too : ) Water chestnuts are a great textural (and low calorie) element to add to the filling.
Next time you’re trying, if you want a change of pace, try cabbage leaves. Nice and crunchy and substantial. The thai dish larb is my absolute favorite and it’s a dish of seasomed ground meat (or tofu) served with cabbage leaves. I could eat just that (well if the rest of the thai dinner wasn’t so delish I could)
12Sorry I’m late on this, but I have the best lettuce wrap recipe! It’s a Cook’s Illustrated thai pork wraps (but you could probably use another meat). I think the ground toasted rice and fish sauce are the game-changers. Highly recommended as written:
http://katskitchenplace.blogspot.com/2010/01/happy-new-year-recipe-thai-pork-lettuce.html
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