Name: Thai-Style Sliced-Beef Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leave; 2 tablespoons tamarind paste, hoisin sauce, or barbecue sauce; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger (from a 1-inch piece); Grated zest and juice of 1 orange; Grated zest and juice of 1 lime; 2 scallions, minced (white and green parts); 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 small fresh red or green chile, thinly sliced; 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut crosswise into 6-inch pieces; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 head Bibb lettuce or 2 endive, leaves separated

To make the marinade, stir the cilantro, tamarind paste, soy sauce, ginger, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, scallions, garlic, honey, and chile together in a small bowl.

Place the steak in a shallow glass bowl or large sealable plastic bag. Pour half of the marinade over the steak and turn the meat or shake the bag to coat it with the marinade. (Reserve the remaining marinade for serving.) Cover the bowl or close the bag and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Remove the steak from the marinade and season both sides to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the steak for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, cover it loosely with foil to keep warm, and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

To serve, thinly slice the steak diagonally against the grain and put the steak slices on a platter. Drizzle the meat with the reserved marinade and arrange the lettuce leaves around the platter.

Recipe Testers' Tips

Brenda Carleton

Mmmmm. This is delicious. The recipe advises to marinate skirt steak from 30 minutes to overnight. I marinated it for 4 hours, which was enough for the flavor to permeate the meat, although I'm thinking 30 minutes may not be enough. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons tamarind paste, barbecue sauce, or hoisin sauce—this is quite a variation of possible flavor outcomes. I used tamarind. I like that the recipe also requires orange juice and zest, which is a welcome addition to the cilantro, soy sauce, ginger, lime, scallions, garlic, honey, and chile. Rather than use a skillet, we grilled the meat. We also added a touch of Thai Chile Vinegar Sauce for a different flavor to a couple of the wraps. This made a delicious and satisfying summer dinner and amongst the better Thai wraps we have had.

Thai-Style Sliced-Beef Lettuce Wraps