Simple Suppers - Pork Lettuce Wraps

Looking for a really quick Asian inspired dinner?  Try these super easy lettuce wraps courtesy of Cooks Country magazine.  They are AWESOME!  I made some rice to go on the side and dinner was done in the time it took the rice to cook.  I made a few changes for ease and time.  The original recipe calls for a pork tenderloin that you grind up yourself in the food processor.  Yeah.  Not gonna happen.  Ever.  Use pre-ground.  Duh.

 

Pork Lettuce Wraps

 

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. oil

1 lb. ground pork (or chicken, or turkey, yum)

1/4 c. hoisin sauce

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce

1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/4" pieces

1-8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1 head Bibb lettuce

 

Directions:

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over med-high heat until just smoking.  Add pork and cook, breaking up with a spatula, until no longer pink.

While pork cooks, whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce, water, and chili-garlic sauce together in a large bowl.

When pork is cooked, add to bowl with hoisin mixture.

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in now empty skillet over med-high heat until shimmering.  Add bell pepper and water chestnuts and cook until pepper softens (about 4 minutes).

Add ginger to skillet and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).

Add pork mixture back to skillet, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened (about 1 minute)

Serve in lettuce leaves.

 

**You can find hoisin sauce and Asian chili-garlic sauce in the ethnic foods area of most supermarkets.

 

**Want something besides lettuce?  Try Nappa cabbage for a little more crunch.