Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! PLEASE say you forgive my LONG absence--Gosh, I've missed you guys!!! The travel extravaganza is over and we are back in full swing--a little tanned, a little worn out and a whole lot happy. Kitchen's coming together more and more (promise to share some photos again soon) and something magical has happened while we were away. Spring is actually truly here!! Like in "buds-are-on-the-trees" and "all-that-nasty-dirty-snow-has disappeared!!" Whew, what a relief!! So to celebrate all that newfound greenery, it's lettuce wraps tonight and I couldn't be more excited! Guys, these little rollups call out to me. Seriously. If they are on a menu, you pretty much know what I am going to order. Like in all the times I've been to the Cheesecake Factory for example (and we're talking years) I don't think I've ever ordered anything besides the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Why would I? What's better than little bits of meat and veggies enrobed in a crunchy lettuce leaf? I've already got a couple of them that are chicken based on the blog--these Easy Chicken and Cashew Lettuce Wraps and these Thai Chicken Veggie Wraps inspired by the aforementioned Cheesecake Factory version, complete with divine creamy peanut sauce, but I haven't found a beef version I've really gone wild over until now and as of this moment, I feel that I could eat them every night!!! The beef is thin and crispy and marinated in this sweet/spicy sauce and the cool crunchy lettuce is a perfect foil for it. Seriously, I can't wait to make these again!! If you're trying to go low-carb and light, they are right up your alley. And they take only moments to cook, which means that these wraps are perfect for weeknight eating. So much perfection! It's hard to handle!! The recipe serves 4 but if you're not serving too much else with these or you have a couple of hungry teenagers (or me) you're probably going to want to double it or risk all out war reaching for that last wrap. Don't say I didn't warn you!! Ah, it's good to be back!!!

Easy Korean-Style Beef Lettuce Wraps

Makes about 4 servings

Prep Time:  10 minutes to make marinade and then at least 30 minutes to marinate meat or up to 8 hours; Cook Time:  5-7 minutes

Ingredients

For the marinade

• One small ripe pear, grated
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1-2 shakes red pepper flakes (more if you really like things spicy)
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

For the meat and wraps

• About 1 pound boneless short ribs
• 1-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• 3-4 scallions, chopped
• Lettuce cups-washed and dried well (Boston or butter lettuce works really well for these)

The Recipe

1.  To make the marinade:  Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, then pour into a large resealable plastic bag. 

2.  Slice the meat into very thin strips and place into the bag with the marinade. Seal and squish everything around to coat the meat. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to 8 hours. By the way, this also works great with thinly sliced chicken breasts.

4.  When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is very hot, remove the strips of meat from the marinade, draining slightly and add to the skillet. Season with a bit of salt and cook meat in a single layer without moving for 1-2 minutes to allow a sear to happen on the meat (you may have to cook  Then turn occasionally until meat is cooked through and crisp at edges, a few minutes longer. Transfer to a plate, divide among the lettuce cups and sprinkle the scallions on top. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, November 2015. I left out the tablespoon of grated ginger from the marinade.