KOREAN-INSPIRED GROUND BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS

Korean-Inspired Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps image

Provided by Aarti Sequeira

Time 55m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 pound ground beef, preferably grass-fed and organic
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
1-inch piece ginger, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chile paste)
1 tablespoon honey
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice
1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
Sliced cucumber, for serving
1 head butter lettuce, separated into whole leaves

Steps:

For the beef: Add the beef to a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and slowly rendering the fat, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large spoon remove half of the rendered fat and discard. Add the garlic, scallions and ginger and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
For the sauce: Stir together the soy sauce, gochujang, honey and sesame oil in a small bowl. Stir some of the sauce into the beef, a few tablespoons at a time, until seasoned to your taste. Set aside.
For the sticky rice: Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Combine the rice, oil and 1 1/2 cups water in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot®. Cook on high pressure, 8 minutes. Allow the steam to release slowly, for about 5 minutes, then remove the lid. Roll the beef, sticky rice, sauce and cucumber slices in lettuce leaves and eat.