Steak and Raita lettuce wraps

Tired of Taco Night? Try these spicy steak and cool raita lettuce wraps. Just as fun to assemble, but twice the flavor. Easy to prepare ahead, so if you're having a dinner party spend your time with your guests and not slaving away in the kitchen.  

(Serves 4)

Start by preparing your Raita*, peel, remove seeds and chop cucumber. Put in food processor with green onions, 2 garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, yogurt, mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, 1 tsp of paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Make ahead and refrigerate to let the flavors combine.

Steak Marinade: combine 1/4 cup of ketchup, 2 tsp of olive oil, 2 tsp red wine vinegar, 1tsp chipotle paste, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 2tbsp shoyu (or soy sauce) and 1 chopped garlic clove. Pour over steaks and refrigerate for several hours, or make ahead the night before. 

Clean button mushrooms by brushing with a dry paper towel.  Toss in 1/4 cup of shoyu,  3tbsp of worcestershire sauce and 1 tbsp of steak spice.  Let mushrooms marinate for about an hour before cooking. At this time you can also wash and dry lettuce and set aside until ready to serve. Keep lettuce dry and cool to keep lettuce crisp.

Remove steaks from fridge and let sit for about an hour.  Then in hot pan or bbq, cook steaks. I used NY striploins, about 2 inches thick, on med high heat, I cooked each side for 4 minutes for med-rare. Brush marinade onto steaks while cooking.

Remove steaks from heat and cover  with aluminum  foil and let rest for 10 minutes.  While steaks are resting, in 2 hot pans, add 1tbsp of butter to each on med high heat. In one, saute mushrooms, in other, saute red peppers with 2 tbsp of ketchup, 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar and some fresh cracked black pepper. Cook both peppers and mushrooms until tender, about 10 minutes. 

Slice steak and assemble a platter so that everyone can make their own wraps.

Ingredients:

• Raita: 
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• juice from one fresh lime
• 1 whole cucumber
• about 2 handfuls of fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

• Steak Marinade:
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp chipotle paste
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp shoyu ( or soy sauce)
• 1 chopped garlic clove

• Mushroom Marinade:
• 1/4 cup shoyu
• 3 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp steak spice

• Everything else:
• 1 container of button mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper ( with 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and fresh cracked pepper)
• 1 head of bib lettuce, boston lettuce or 2 heads of romaine hearts
• steak enough for 4 people, ( I used 2, 10 ounce NY striploins from Saslove's meat market) http://www.saslovesmeat.com/

* Raita is a yogurt based sauce, typically served as a cooling agent for spicy dishes in Indian cuisine.