Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps
These lettuce wraps are one of my favourite things to eat - I love the spicy-sweet-sour flavour profile, the crispy meat filling and fresh lettuce leaves.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 " piece ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red chile thai bird chile, or substitute 1/2 a serrano
- 8 kaffir lime leaves or zest of 1 lime
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 tbsp brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp minced fresh mint
- 2 tbsp minced cilantro
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- salt to taste
For sauce:
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- ¼ cup sambal oelek
To serve:
- 2 heads iceberg lettuce leaves separated
- 1 carrot grated
- mint leaves
- cilantro leaves
- bean sprouts not pictured
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes, then add ginger, garlic, chile and lime leaves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in pork and beef, and cook, breaking meat up into small bits with spoon and stirring occasionally, until cooked through.
- Add brown sugar and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until meat is browned and crispy, about 10 minutes more. Stir in lime juice, herbs and fish sauce. Add salt to taste.
- Stir together sweet chili and sambal oelek. Transfer meat to a bowl and allow guests to build their own lettuce wraps, with lettuce leaves, shredded carrots, herbs and sauce.