[CHANGS] Lettuce Wraps

Made some super lettuce wraps tonight.

1 lb ground beef/turkey (I used turkey)
1 yellow onion
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp peanut sauce
several lettuce leaves
a small can of water chestnuts, diced
a cucumber, diced

Wok up with onion for 3 minutes in some sesame oil. Add the turkey/beef, brown. After it's browned, drain, and add the soy sauce, hoisin and peanut sauce. Add the water chestnuts and cukes. Heat it through, put in a bowl, and serve with a side of soy sauce.

If you like it spicy, add a tablespoon of sirachi sauce to the mix. Or, if you're like me, even more.

those sound awesome. I will try that.

I would add green onions to that, b/c I love green onions.
Did you season the beef/turkey? Little salt and cumin.

I like the addition of the water chestnuts for texture.

Also, did you make the sauces you speak of?

If not - you should! easy and delish (and cheaper and better for you) to make a peanut sauce

Tagging this for later this week. Very nice.

This is entirely new to me so what sort of lettuce should be used for the wrap?

delish

I used iceberg lettuce, and the sauces were just off the asian shelf at the grocery. No, I didn't season anything - it winds up quite tasty as you add sesame oil and soy. I tend to overdo it on the sesame oil, but it tastes so freaking good.

I will look into making those sauces. It can't be that hard!

what would go well with this for a dinner? (aside from just rice)

There's been times where I made enough of this recipe that it was enough for dinner.

A great dish to launch into from this would be some szechuan beef or shrimp. You don't want to overdo it on chicken. I think shrimp fried rice would be pretty tasty after this, too.

Did you try and copy chang's? or did you just come up wiht this? Anyway very good and simple dish old. I did miso marinated skirt steak and i didnt cook the cukes. I covered them in sea salt to bring out the h20 and wiped them. I also finely chopped regular salted peanuts and just sprinkled alittle on top.

I've had Chang's many times - it's a favorite app for us. I just sort of realized that I knew what the basics were, and looked up a few recipes, and added what I thought sounded good.

Pro tip: Cut the head of lettuce in half, and use the half away from the stem.

Edit: Great idea on the peanuts. And skirt steak? Genius.

I used boston lettuce and just the outside cause they make nice cups

Heres a fairly basic peanut sauce ive been using on stir fry's lately...tastes pretty good - adjust heat to your liking.

I dont use measurement so sry bout that -

Few hefty spoons of chunky peanut butter
around 1/6 cup soy or so
dash of black vinegar
1/4 lime juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
chillies
minced garlic/ginger -
minced cilantro stems
dash of sesame oil

you can always thicken for a stir fry with corn starch as the chinese do

I made a slightly modified version of this last night and it was fantastic. I added some chopped mushrooms to the initial onion/garlic sautee with a little stir fry sauce I threw together (soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar). Then I added the ground turkey and some hoisin sauce.

I also made a sauce to put on top of it:

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
sirachi to taste

Dissolve the sugar in the water, then add everything else and whisk together.

I made some sushi rice too so in the lettuce I put rice in then the meat on top and ate them like tacos.

I just got a bottle of sirachi yesterday. I will totally give that sauce a shot, Fal.

yah, the wife is allergic to anchovies, which is in hoisin - otherwise, that would be ideal to be in a asian lettuce wrap.

I have sirachi too - i find it has some wierd sweetness that doesnt work for me - like the heat though!

yah, the wife is allergic to anchovies, which is in hoisin - otherwise, that would be ideal to be in a asian lettuce wrap.

I have sirachi too - i find it has some wierd sweetness that doesnt work for me - like the heat though!
there is no anchovy in hoisin

YES THERE IS I WAS A GARB MANAGER

Yes there is - at least in the brands I have seen.

Mandarin-style Hoisin sauce ingredients include water, sugar, soybeans, white distilled vinegar, rice, salt, wheat flour, garlic, and red chili peppers, and several preservatives and coloring agents. Traditionally, Hoisin sauce is made using sweet potato. Despite the literal meaning of "seafood," Hoisin sauce does not contain fish.