Friday, January 28, 2011

Lettuce Wraps with Bulgogi and Pace Picante Sauce

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received two bottles of Pace Picante Sauce. I love Pace Picante Sauce and frequently use it, for example in breakfast burritos (one of my early posts; wow, my blogging style has evolved a lot…) And several months ago, I made my first video post, making breakfast burritos using Pace Picante Sauce.

When I received the Pace Picante Sauce, I decided that I wanted to use it in an “unusual” dish that could be served at a Super Bowl Party. My mind wandered right away towards Korean food – I know, not a big surprise considering my love for Korean food. How about bulgogi (Korean, marinated beef) wrapped in lettuce? And instead of serving it with gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) and/or kimchi, I thought I’d try Pace Picante sauce. Unusual? Definitely. Tasty? You can find out at the end of the post!

Lettuce Wraps with Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Beef) and Pace Picante Sauce

Ingredients
  • Red leaf lettuce leaves, washed and dried
  • Bulgogi meat (sirloin, rib-eye steak, or tenderloin available thinly sliced in Korean grocery markets, or you can slice the steak paper-thin yourself). I like cutting the meat myself as I have more control over where my meat comes from. Putting the meat in the freezer before-hand makes cutting it paper-thin easier.


 Bulgogi Marinade
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced (depending how much you love garlic)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 green onions, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • a little less than 1/4 cup sugar (I know this is a weird “measurement” but that’s what I do…)
  • 1/4 cup lemon/lime soda (Sprite, 7-Up, etc.)



 Toppings
  • Pace Picante Sauce
  • Cilantro



Directions
  1. Mix the beef marinade ingredients and pour them over the beef, making sure to cover each layer of beef.
  2. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
  3. Heat some oil in a wok or frying pan, and cook the meat over high heat, turning it frequently.
  4. Serve the lettuce leaves, beef, Pace Picante Sauce, and cilantro separately and have your guests make their own lettuce wraps.










Even though I think hubby was quite skeptical when I first told him about my idea for this meal (I’m an expert at reading his non-verbal cues), he truly ended up loving the dish! And so did we all...



Thanks FoodBuzz Tastemaker Program and Pace Picante Sauce for inspiring this tasty, interactive, and fun meal! Smile

Questions: Have you ever had bulgogi? If so, did you like it? Are you going to watch the Super Bowl? If so, what are you going to eat? What’s your favorite party dish? 

Be well,
Andrea