Onion-Sesame Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps

  Alright ladies and gentlemen, tonight all I have for you is a recipe.  That's right: no long-winded stories of shopping trips that end in disaster.  No bitter diatribe about J letting a dirty dog into my bed.  No anecdote about Monkey.  Just a recipe.  But with a recipe that's as good as this one, what else do ya need?

Here it is:

Onion-Sesame Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps

These were in Paula Deen's latest magazine issue, and I'm so glad I tried them!  They're hands-down my favorite of all her main-course recipes I've tried.  Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 lime, zested and juiced
5 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
3 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS sesame oil
2 TBS rice wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 (2 lbs) flank steak
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into leaves
Optional Toppings:  matchstick carrots, bean sprouts, sliced water chestnuts, sliced green onion, fresh cilantro leaves, steamed white rice

In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the steak, lettuce and optional toppings.

Place steak in a resealable plastic bag.  Add half of the green onion mixture; seal bag, and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Cover and chill remaining green onion mixture.  Spray grill rack with nonstick, non-flammable cooking spray.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat (350-400).  Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade.    Grill steak for 8-10 minutes per side or until a thermometer registers 155 or until desired degree of doneness.

I have never mastered the grill; I hate the smokey flavor, and I hate waiting for J to do it for me.  So, I cooked my steak in about 2 TBS oil on the stove over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side, because I like my meat medium-rare.  
 

Once your steak is cooked allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before cutting into it.  Slice across the grain.

Serve steak in lettuce leaves with desired toppings and remaining green onion mixture.  Like so:

I will say that the marinade is what made this meal.  Next time I grill steak I'm going to use that marinade again.  It was just enough "something different" without being overwhelming.  I loved it!