Tired of having your salads on rotation? Switch up your diet plan with these Korean beef lettuce cups, which make for a great low-carb lunch or dinner. The burst of flavour from pickled vegetables will get a party going in your mouth!
Ingredients
- 1 fresh long red chilli, chopped coarsely
- 1 tbsp coarsely chopped lemon grass
- 2 clove garlic, halved
- 2 tsps finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 tsps reduced-salt soy sauce
- 150 g lean beef sirloin steak, trimmed, thinly sliced
- ½ cup (100 g) low-GI brown rice (Doongara)
- 2 tsps rice bran oil
- 6 large-piece butter lettuce leaves (50 g)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
- ½ cup (40 g) bean sprouts, trimmed
PICKLED VEGETABLES
- 1 fresh long red chilli, chopped finely
- 1 small-piece carrot (70 g), cut into matchsticks
- 1½ cups (120 g) shredded green cabbage
- 2 tsps caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Steps
Blend or process chilli, lemon grass, garlic, ginger, the water and half the sauce until smooth. Combine chilli mixture and beef in a small bowl. Cover; refrigerate for 30 mins.
Cook rice in a medium saucepan of boiling water, stirring occasionally, for 25 mins or until tender; drain well.
Meanwhile, make pickled vegetables, combine ingredients in a large bowl. Stand for 30 mins to soften and develop the flavours.
Heat rice bran oil in a wok over high heat; cook beef, in batches, for 30 secs or until browned all over.
Spoon rice into lettuce leaves, top with some of the pickled vegetables, then some of the beef. Combine remaining sauce and sesame oil; drizzle over beef. Sprinkle with coriander and sprouts.
TIP Freeze beef slightly to make it easier to cut into thin slices. Remove seeds from chilli for a milder heat.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au