Pork Lettuce Wraps

A mainstay in traditional Vietnamese cuisine, these pork lettuce wraps are simple, light and surprisingly filling. There are a fair amount of ingredients and you do have to be tender when assembling the wraps, but from start to finish you’ll be eating in just over 30 minutes. For a dinner party, we recommend making the ingredients and serving everything separately on the table and allowing guests to assemble their wraps for a more personalized touch.

Ingredients for Pork Lettuce Wraps

• White vinegar: Vinegar helps to acidify the filling. It meshes with the other ingredients to create a well balanced flavor.
• Sugar: This helps to balance the vinegar.
• Salt: Large, flaky salt is key for bringing out the flavors in these delicious wraps.
• Vegetables: Julienned carrots and thinly sliced onions add crunch.
• Filling: The main filling uses ground pork, fresh ginger root, minced garlic, reduced-sodium soy sauce, mirin (a sweet rice wine), salt and pepper and fish sauce (which is optional).
• Assembly: For assembling the wraps, you’ll need Bibb lettuce leaves, English cucumber, sweet red pepper, green onions, fresh basil, cilantro and mint, jalapeno pepper, salted peanuts, Hoisin sauce and lime wedges.

Directions

Step 1: Make the sauce

In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar and salt until well blended. Stir in carrots and onion; let it  stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Cook the filling

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the pork, ginger and garlic over medium heat for six to eight minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Break the pork into crumbles as you cook and drain once finished. Stir in soy sauce, mirin, salt, pepper and if desired, fish sauce.

Step 3: Assemble and serve

Drain carrot mixture before serving. Place the pork filling in lettuce leaves and top with cucumber, red pepper, green onions, the carrot mixture and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with jalapeno and peanuts; drizzle with hoisin sauce. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Fold the lettuce over the filling.

Recipe Variations

• Add more veggies: Add summer squash, zucchini or sliced and diced cherry tomatoes.
• Turn it into a salad: You can use all of the same ingredients to make a salad. Just chop the lettuce and top with the ingredients, mixing well to combine. This is particularly yummy served cold.

How to Store Pork Lettuce Wraps

To store leftovers, keep the lettuce separate from the filling and store the filling in a bowl with an airtight lid or plastic wrap cover in the fridge. Consume within three to four days.

Can you make pork lettuce wraps ahead of time?

You can make the pork filling and carrot mixture ahead of time but you won’t want to assemble these wraps until you’re ready to serve them. The lettuce will become too soggy if you try to do that.

Pork Lettuce Wrap Tips

Can I make these vegetarian?

To make these vegetarian-friendly, swap out the pork for tofu and stay away from the fish sauce.

How do I keep the lettuce from splitting?

The trick is to not fill the leaves too full and hold them gently when you’re eating. This will keep the lettuce leaves from splitting open and spilling.

What else do I serve with pork lettuce wraps?

Serve other Vietnamese favorites with these pork lettuce wraps or pickled vegetables and skewered meats if you’re craving a heartier meal.