A Word From The Other Parsimonious Chef...: Try Something New..... Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps.....

Sunset @ Pi Pi Islands

There's an old adage that goes like this; "when life gives you lemons just make lemonade!" While I am an extremely optimistic person I can be a creature of habit. I know those two things aren't necessarily in conflict with each other but I also feel that the "creature of habit" thing can be a creativity stifler. There are times when the solution to the old lemon thing is to do something out of the norm and reinvent the fix.

I have stated before that I worked overseas in Iraq for the past three years. One of the things to consider before taking a job overseas is just how much time you are willing to stay off of U.S. soil or how much money you want to pay in income taxes for money not earned in the U.S. by staying over the 30 day limit. If you have family or friends that can't travel that decision can be a difficult one. While I was always tempted to hit the usual haunts like Miami, L.A. and New Orleans, I am happy to say that I chose to travel abroad instead.

If you have seen the pictures that I have posted on the Silent Sundays Series you can't help to notice that there are more than a few pictures of Buddhas and of things in Thailand. Well, when I worked in Iraq one of the countries that I fell in love with was Thailand. The sunsets alone can cause goosebumps and I did my best to take as many pictures of those that I could. The beaches, culture, impeccable service, luxury, food and value for your dollar are reasons enough for anyone to fall in love with this place but what keeps me going back is the feeling that I am discovering something new with each trip. It's for this reason that I have taken the creative and artistic license to change the old lemon saying to; "When life gives you lemons, slice them and stuff them into the cavity of a fish and grill it!" I know, it's rather long but I'll argue that my grilled fish with lemons is a bigger draw than the old lemonade your'e rolling with.

On the Menu this Weekend: Thai Style Beef Lettuce Wraps.....

Thai Beef Lettuce Wrap w/ Sweet Chili Sauce

For this we will need the following:

Ground Beef (2-5 #)
Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
Garlic (2 Tbs)
Yellow Onions (1 each)
Green Onions (1 bunch)
Cilantro ( 2 bunch)
Basil (3 bunch)
Mint (2 bunch)
Yellow & Red Sweet Bell Pepper (1-2 ea)
Thai Chili Pepper (2 ea)
Habanero (1 ea)
Limes (4 ea)
Soy Sauce (2 Tbs)
Rice Vinegar (1/2 tsp)
Sweet Chili Sauce (1/2 cup)
Ice Berg Lettuce (1-2 head)

Thailand has a tropical climate and in the summer months it gets fairly warm so there are a lot of chili's added to dishes in order to promote sweating which is the body's way of naturally cooling itself down. One of the dishes that I had when I wasn't eating the Drunken Thai Fish is the Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps. These have the perfect sweet to spice ratio and the cool, crispness of the lettuce adds a third dimension that rounds it all out. Washing this down with a Singha Lager is the best of all worlds.

Mise en Place

Onions, Peppers, Garlic, Mint, Basil, Cilantro & Green Onions

Ground Beef

Sauces & Vinegar

Take the onions and chili peppers and dice. Mince the herbs and garlic and finally slice the green onions. To start cooking heat a wok or a skillet and add olive oil, next add the onions and green onions.

Add the peppers to the skillet and then add the garlic, finally add 2/3 of the minced herbs allowing the mixture to sauté for 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and allow to cook thoroughly. Once the ground beef is cooked drain the oil and liquid from the pan by simply using a lid and tipping over a sink. Return the pan to the stove top and add all of the liquid ingredients, taste the mixture to determine if it needs salt added (remember that there's sodium in the soy sauce). Plate and set aside.

The Iceberg Lettuce should be torn off by hand and washed to assure that you get leaves that are big enough for you wraps. Cut the limes in quarters and take the basil and mint then tear off the leaves and wash and plate as seen below. The cilantro can be washed thoroughly with the stems on, just be sure to cut the stems 2 inches from to the bottom (this lessens the chances of grit).

Finally to serve, take a lettuce leaf and add the Thai Beef, mint leaves, basil, cilantro and a squeeze of lime, wrap and eat. Enjoy with the drink of your choice, a lager is a great choice for this spicy treat, try Singha Lager it's the traditional beer of Thailand.