Grilled Five Spice Steak Salad Lettuce Wraps with Syrah

RECIPE BY David Reamer

Serves 4 | Dairy Free, Gluten Free
Active TIME About 35-40 minutes
Start this recipe The night before

Behind the pairing

FOR: Ordinary people who like extraordinary things

IDEAL SCENARIO: A fancy-ish evening at home

WHY IT WORKS: In this case, like goes with like. Grilled red meat with a five-spice rub is perfectly attuned to the flavor profile and density of this luscious Syrah.

There’s something so comforting about a warm climate Syrah paired with steak. To balance the opulence we added delicate butter lettuce and crunchy fresh veggies to the mix for a pleasantly harmonious duo. The best part? You can eat with your hands. No silverware means fewer dishes.

GET THE WINE

INGREDIENTS

Five Spice Steak

2 T of pre-made five spice mix or homemade:
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t crushed anise seed
1/2 t crushed fennel seed
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t ground cloves
Olive oil
1 T salt
1 lb flat iron steak

Butter Lettuce Wraps

2 heads of fresh butter lettuce, with 8-10 large leaves removed, rinsed and dried
1/2 cucumber, seeds removed, cut into 1/4 inch squares
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro, mint & green onion for garnish

Sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T water
3 T simple syrup
2 T Huy Fong Chili Garlic sauce (Available at most grocery stores near the Sriracha. Sub Sriracha in a pinch)
1/2 t fish sauce

PREPARATION

For the Steak

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Lightly oil the raw steak and coat well with the five spice mix and salt.
3. Cook steak for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until steak is rare.
4. Rest a room temperature for 10 minutes, then wrap well and place in the refrigerator overnight.

For the Lettuce Wraps & Sauce

1. Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl and season to personal taste.
2. Add the cucumber, peppers, and onion. Marinate for an hour.
3. To serve, place individual lettuce leaves on a platter. Fill each halfway with marinated vegetables.
4. Thinly slice the chilled steak and add 3-4 slices onto each lettuce leaf.
5. Add freshly chopped cilantro, mint, and green onion.
6. Top each wrap with a little of the vegetable marinade.