Spiced Pork Lettuce Wraps
These flavor-packed lettuce wraps feature sweet and savory ground pork cooked with ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, and fresh lime juice. Serve the warm pork filling alongside a pile of crisp lettuce leaves, allowing guests to wrap their own. It is a fun, interactive meal that comes together in less than twenty minutes.
Ingredients
Pork & Veggies
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, peeled and diced about 3 cups
- 3 medium celery ribs, diced, about 1 cup
- 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
- 1 ½ pounds ground pork
Sauce & Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons prepared Asian chili sauce
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 (9-ounce) jar Hoisin sauce, about 1 cup
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- Juice of 1 large lime, about 3 tablespoons
Lettuce
- 1 head leaf lettuce, 10 to 12 leaves, washed and dried
Instructions
Cook the Filling
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook until the veggies are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the pork and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes more.
- Stir in the chili sauce, ginger, salt and pepper.
- Pour in the hoisin sauce and tomatoes.
- Squeeze the lime juice into the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
Assemble & Serve
- Transfer the filling to a bowl and place the lettuce leaves nearby, open and ready to go.
- Place a spoonful of the filling into the middle of a lettuce leaf.
- Wrap the leaf around the pork filling and place it onto a platter.
- Serve with a stack of lettuce leaves and plenty of extra filling at the ready!
You can find Asian chili sauce in the ethnic section in your grocery store. You can substitute with chili sauce mixed with a bit of crushed red pepper. Hoisin sauce is made from fermented black beans.
You'll find it on the same shelf.
Hot Garlicky Wings perfect for sharing+ If you are looking for hot, spicy chicken wings that are as moist as they are fiery, then this is the recipe for you! These tempting wings are way better than the ones you find on fast food menus. Sometimes, when the game is really, really close, you just gotta eat a wing instead of biting your nails!
Garlic Hot Sauce
The Heart of the Table
This colorful platter of warm pork and fresh, green lettuce leaves brings a lively, interactive energy to the table. The sweet and savory aromas of ginger and hoisin draw everyone in, creating a fun, hands-on dining experience filled with laughter.
The Art of the Host
- a hand-turned, wide-rimmed salad bowl crafted from solid cherrywood
- a set of matte-finished ceramic salad plates chilled beforehand
- a solid copper balloon whisk to perfectly aerate ingredients
- a pre-seasoned double-burner cast-iron grill pan with high ridges
- a well-seasoned 12-inch cast-iron skillet with dual pour spouts
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Place the warm pork filling in a beautiful ceramic bowl in the center of a large platter, surrounding it with a fan of washed, dry lettuce leaves.
- THE POUR: Pair with a dry, off-dry Riesling or a chilled hibiscus-ginger tea.
- THE VIBE: Casual Dining Room. The bright room, the sound of lively conversation, and the interactive meal create a fun, relaxed evening mood.