Asian Lettuce Wraps Recipe
A delicious combination of ground pork and Asian flavors served in a cool and fresh lettuce wrap.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Origin of the dish
Asian lettuce wrap is a delicious and famous dish originated in China, it then migrated throughout the Southeast Asia and eventually become popular in Laos and Thailand. However, this dish is also common in United Kingdom and United States since the early mid-20th century. It is believed that P.F. Chang (a restaurant serving Asian-American cuisine, founded by Cecilia Chang) is the first ever credited restaurant which put the lettuce wraps on the food map.
When is a lettuce wrap typically served?
Asian Lettuce Wraps is another style of food common in special events like cocktail events. It is served separately and all you need is to scoop a tablespoon of the ground pork into the lettuce sheet then wrap it all over and give a good bite or eat it all at once. It is a kind of entertaining style of meal.
Kitchen Utensils You'll Need
You will be needing the following kitchen tools and equipment in making this recipe:
- Mixing bowls
- Spoon
- Measuring spoons/cups
- Frying pan
- Spatula
- Serving plate
- Cutting board
- Cutting knife
Asian Lettuce Wrap’s Primary Ingredients – Ground Pork and Lettuce.
In making a delicious and savory lettuce wrap you need to choose a good quality of meat to grind. Pork is very common in malls and supermarkets since it is a basic ingredient to most dishes. All you need is to be meticulous when choosing the quality of the meat. Few factors of a good quality meat are the one with desirable color, like a bright red. You can also try to press the meat with your finger, if it bounces back then it is fresh. And another factor is the smell.
Another important ingredient for this dish is of course the lettuce which is used as the wrap of the ground pork. Often used in salads, lettuce is a common ingredient to dishes like soups, sandwiches, and wraps. It can also be grilled.
Note that there are different kinds of lettuce and the one that you need in Asian Lettuce wrap recipe is the butter lettuce, it is loose, and round in shape with sweet leaves and mild flavor which is perfect as wraps.
Interesting Facts
- There are 5 distinct variety of lettuce and the one I used in this recipe is butter lettuce.
- Lettuce is the second most popular fresh vegetable in the U.S. the first one is potato.
- In Ancient Egypt, lettuce was considered as a powerful aphrodisiac by the fertility god Min.
Tips and Tricks
- To keep lettuce crisp you can add few paper towels to the leaves to absorb excess moisture and replace it every other day.
- To maintain the crispiness of the lettuce it should have a good amount of airflow to stay crisp.
- Use aluminum foil to wrap veggies like lettuce to keep the crisp up to four weeks. Wrap it in foil and keep in the fridge’s crisper drawer.
Ingredients
- 500g ground pork
- 1 fresh butter lettuce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp ginger, minced
- 1 green onions
- 1/2 cup mushroom
- 1 medium sized onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp water
Directions
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In a small bowl. Mix together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, minced ginger, cornstarch and water. Mix very well.
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Heat a frying pan and add the vegetable oil. Saute onions and garlic until light brown. Add the ground pork and stir. Sprinkle the salt and pepper.
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Add the mushroom and the sauce that you made. Stir well together and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pork is cooked.
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Now that your wrap filling is done, assemble your food by placing lettuce in a plate. Open the lettuce and start putting your pork mushroom filling about 1-2 tablespoons (depending on the size of your lettuce).
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Serve and enjoy!
When eating, just wrap the lettuce and take a bite. Some people take an entire bite of an entire lettuce leaf with the filling to make it more enjoyable.
Delicious and exciting! You can assemble your own fresh and delicious lettuce wrap however you like it. Just make sure to keep the table napkins ready since making your own wrap tends to be messy a little bit. Just enjoy the process and of course the taste of this lettuce wrap. It's like eating your burrito. Messy but keeps your stomach full and happy!