David's Favorite Recipes

Asian Minced Pork and Lettuce Flatbread Wrap

6 SERVINGS

Directions

Chopped Lettuce and Dressing
Chop the lettuce leaves and place them in a bowl with the julienned carrots. In a small bowl, stir together the peanut oil, honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil; set aside.

Chopped Lettuce and Dressing
In a mixing bowl, stir together the ground pork, shallots, ginger, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of the garlic. Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the pork mixture, pressing it down with a wooden spoon to form a patty; cook without breaking up the meat until the underside is browned, about 4 minutes. Then, break up the pork and continue cooking and stirring until the meat is uniformly browned, 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in the remaining peanut oil and garlic and sauté 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the rice vinegar and stir and scrape to deglaze the pan deposits. Stir in the soy sauce, Asian chili sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the hoisin.

To serve, place the tortillas on a microwave-proof plate, cover with a clean dishtowel, and microwave until warmed through, 30 to 40 seconds. In a clean bowl, toss the lettuce mixture with the dressing. Spoon the ground pork mixture down the center of each tortilla. Spoon lettuce alongside the meat. Drizzle on some additional hoisin sauce, garnish with scallions and serve.

One of the most popular dishes at Asian restaurants these days is lettuce wraps filled with minced pork, chicken, or other meat or poultry. They are delicious, but I find that the lettuce often splits and the dish becomes a bit messy. This recipe makes the mixture easier to eat by using flour tortillas and including the lettuce inside.

Ingredients

Chopped Lettuce and Dressing
½ head crisp lettuce such as iceberg, romaine, or green leaf, leaves separated, washed, and dried
¼ cup julienned carrots (1 medium carrot)
1/3 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian-style toasted sesame oil

Minced Pork Wraps
1 pound ground pork
¼ cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons peanut oil
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas