Hey, Let’s Wrap

Mirin, a sweet rice wine, is an essential ingredient in East Asian cooking. The Japanese use it to season salad dressings and to make teriyaki marinades and tempura dipping sauces.

In this recipe, the mirin balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and the bite of the ginger and garlic. You can find mirin in the Asian aisle at the supermarket or at Japanese markets.

Let your guests have fun making their own wraps using lettuce leaves. Round out the meal with some steamed rice.

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Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps

Steamed Rice

Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons dry Sherry

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 pound sirloin or tenderloin, sliced very thin

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced ginger root

1 (6-ounce) package sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups sliced snow peas, each cut into thirds

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

1 head butter lettuce, separated into leaves

* Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 1 tablespoon garlic and cornstarch in medium bowl. Add beef and stir well. Set aside.

* Combine remaining soy sauce, mirin, Sherry and sesame oil and sugar in small bowl. Set aside.

* Heat peanut oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add ginger and remaining garlic and cook until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes more. Add reserved beef and snow peas and cook, stirring, until beef is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

* Serve ginger beef in bowl, topped with peanuts, with lettuce on side. Wrap some of beef in leaf and eat with fingers.

4 servings. Each serving: 320 calories; 1,379 mg sodium; 53 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 2.14 grams fiber.

INGREDIENTS

Staples

Cornstarch

Garlic

Peanut oil

Peanuts

Rice

Sesame oil

Dry Sherry

Soy sauce

Sugar

Shopping List

Butter lettuce

Ginger root

Mirin

1 (6-ounce) package sliced mushrooms

1 pound sirloin or tenderloin

1/4 pound snow peas

GAME PLAN

30 minutes before: Begin steaming rice.

25 minutes before: Measure liquid ingredients. Slice beef. Mince garlic. Slice ginger root and snow peas.

10 minutes before: Make Ginger Beef.