These wraps are my all-time favorite. So fresh and tasty, and healthy too! My kids go through phases of eating just the beef on the lettuce leaves with sesame seeds, to adding the pickled veggies as they get older. The beef cooks in a slow cooker all day, then you shred it, brown it, and serve! We especially love eating these in the summer because it doesn't heat up the house. A simple dinner you will feel good about feeding your family!
Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps
Serves 6
1 large onion, cut into thick slices
8 garlic cloves, crushed (or 4 teaspoons crushed garlic)
1 (2 lb.) boneless chuck roast
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup GF soy sauce (La Choy is our favorite)
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup rice vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut julienne style
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
Coarse salt for sprinkling
Bibb lettuce leaves or head of iceberg lettuce
Toasted sesame seeds
Prepare slow cooker with cooking spray or slow-cook bag. Layer onion slices in the bottom and top with garlic. Place roast on top of the onions and garlic. In a bowl, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, brown sugar, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper. Pour mixture over the beef. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Thirty minutes before serving, place cucumber and carrots in two shallow bowls. In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, and remaining 1/2 cup rice vinegar. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat and pour evenly over the cucumbers and carrots. Let stand until ready to serve, then drain well.
Transfer beef from slow cooker to a big bowl and shred with two forks. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat; add shredded beef to skillet, pressing into an even layer. Cook 2-3 minutes without stirring. Then turn off heat, generously salt with coarse salt, and pour over 1/4 cup of cooking liquid from slow cooker. Toss to coat. Discard remaining liquid and onions in slow cooker. To serve, top a lettuce leaf with a good portion of beef, some pickled cucumber and carrot, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients for the beef roast. You need a large onion, garlic, beef chuck roast, beef broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper.
Slice the onion into thick slices.
Line them in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with minced garlic.
Place beef chuck roast on top of onions.
In a mixing boil, add 1/2 cup beef broth, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, and 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Whisk to combine.
Evenly pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
About 30 minutes before serving, prepare your pickled vegetables. You need a cucumber, 2-3 carrots, a cup of water, 1/2 cup rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sugar.
Slice the cucumber into thin slices and place in a shallow bowl.
Peel and julienne the carrots and put in another bowl.
In a small saucepan, combine water, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to just a boil, then evenly pour over the cucumber and carrots. Let stand until ready to serve. This is pickling the vegetables just the right amount that they are tasty and crisp!
Remove roast from slow cooker and shred with two forks, discarding any fat.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shredded beef, pressing it into an even layer in the pan. Now the hard part......don't touch it! Let the beef cook for 2-3 minutes until you can smell the sesame oil and beef.
Remove pan from heat and generously salt with coarse salt.
Pour over 1/4 cup of cooking liquid from the slow cooker.
Gently toss to moisten and salt all the beef. You see those browned pieces of beef throughout? That is part of what makes this so amazing!!
To serve, top a lettuce leaf with a generous amount of beef, pickled cucumber and carrots, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Fold, and eat!
The crunch of the vegetables and the great flavor of the beef make this unlike other wraps. I also love the contrast of the cold lettuce leaf with the hot beef! Try these soon!
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe found in Cooking Light magazine.