Lettuce Wraps with Spiced Pork

Remember the herbed pork tenderloin we made a while ago that I was less than impressed with? Well, I'd shoved the leftover cooked pork in the freezer thinking I could kick it up a notch in some manner. I hate throwing stuff out, particularly when it's pork! You'll be happy to hear this time it was far more worthy of top billing!

Relieved of that rather benign herb coating, the pork was cut into little julienned strips and spiced up with lots of garlic and fresh ginger.  Accompanied in the wok by shredded carrots, sliced green onions, julienned water chestnuts and crunchy roasted unsalted peanuts, it was all dressed up with a hoisin, honey and lime sauce. Topped with crunchy deep fried rice stick noodles that absolutely exploded to a loud WOW when they hit the hot oil, peanut sauce and of course the ever present sriracha, not only did it all fill the gap, it was easy to make and rather fun to eat.

If you're wondering what to do with some leftover pork or even chicken, give this a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Why you could even stuff the filling into some mu shu pancakes or wraps and have a whole new thing going on.

Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Pork (inspired by Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, The Rest of the Best)

Sauce:

3/4 cup hoisin sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1-1/2 tablespoons liquid honey

2 tablespoons water

Juice of 1 fresh lime (about 2 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Combine ingredients together in a small pot and heat over medium low heat until simmering. Set aside.

 

Wrap Mixture:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

3 cups cooked pork, julienned

1/2 cup shredded carrot

3 green onions, diagonally sliced

1 can water chestnuts, rinsed, drained and cut into slivers

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

1 head iceberg lettuce, core removed and separated into whole leaves

Rice stick noodles fried according to package directions

Heat oil in a wok until very hot. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds, moving it around to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add pork and stir fry for 3 or 4 minutes, until pork is hot. Add carrot, green onions, water chestnuts and peanuts. Stir fry for additional minute. Add sauce and stir well to incorporate. To serve, set out on a platter with lettuce leaves and deep fried rice stick noodles. Serve with additional sauces such as peanut sauce, hoisin and/or sriracha. Download Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Pork

 

Comments

[Nanan]

Another vote of Yum!

[June]

Lea - not spicy at all except for the ginger and not a tomato in sight. It was yum!