Thai Style Lettuce Wraps

Product

These Thai-style lettuce wraps are delicious and bursting with flavor—a perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, and crunchy. Often made with ground pork or chicken, lean, nutrient-dense yak meat or 100% grass-fed beef, makes a wonderful substitute in this dish. (Yak and grass-fed beef have a similar flavor profile.) This recipe works great for a weeknight family dinner or a weekend meal when entertaining guests.

4-6 as an appetizer; 2 as an entrée
3 tablespoons organic lime juice
2 tablespoons Natural Grocers Brand Raw and Unfiltered Clover Honey
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen Roasted Red Chili Paste
1 teaspoon Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Organic Red Chili Flakes
4 tablespoons Natural Grocers Brand Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Natural Grocers Brand Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 organic shallots, diced
2 organic chili peppers, (jalapeño, serrano, or Fresno), seeds removed and flesh minced
3 cloves organic garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized piece organic ginger, peeled and minced
1 pound ground yak, thawed, or Thousand Hills grass-fed ground beef
  salt and pepper, to taste
3 organic green onions, sliced
1⁄2 cup chopped organic cilantro leaves
1⁄2 cup crushed Natural Grocers Brand Bulk Roasted Salted Cashews
1 large head of organic green or red leaf lettuce
1 cup grated organic carrot
  1. Make the Thai sauce by combining the lime juice, honey, fish sauce, chili paste, and chili flakes in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shallots, chili peppers, garlic, and ginger and sauté until soft, 1-2 minutes. Add the ground yak or beef and break apart with a wooden spoon; cook until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once done, remove from the heat and stir in the green onions, cilantro, crushed cashews, and about half of the prepared Thai sauce.
  3. Fill the lettuce leaves with the ground meat mixture, top with grated carrot, and drizzle the extra sauce over to taste. Make a wrap by folding the lettuce together, making a cup to hold all of the ingredients in the center (think taco-style).
  4. Note: This recipe is outdoor grill friendly. Preheat the grill to 350-375° F. Once hot, preheat a cast iron skillet for approximately 10 minutes before beginning step number 2-cooking instruction. Watch the grill temperature and if necessary, move the skillet over indirect heat and close the lid (for a minute or two) between stirring and breaking apart the ground meat.