Crispy Thai Pork Lettuce Cups

Inspiration: Bon Appetit Crispy Thai Pork with Cucumber Salad.

Recipe

Serves 2-3 (I double the recipe for our family of 5)

2 heads butter lettuce, little gems or romaine hearts (you’re looking for big leaves that you can fill with the pork, rice and fillings) 

1 apple, cut into matchsticks 

1-2 persian cucumbers, cut into matchsticks 

Fresh mint or basil leaves 

1⁄4 cup chicken broth (I keep Better than Bouillon on hand) 

2 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 tablespoon fish sauce 

2 teaspoons brown sugar or maple syrup 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

1lb Ground Pork 

Cooked rice for serving 

Optional: Crispy Onions (like French’s), Peanuts, Chile Crisp

Instructions

If you’re making rice, get that going.

Next, prep your lettuce and fillings. Separate and clean the lettuce leaves, making a pile of the largest leaves on a large plate or platter. Next to the lettuce, pile your cucumbers, apple and herbs. Set aside. 

Then make your sauce. In a bowl or measuring cup, stir together the broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar or maple syrup. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the sliced garlic. When the garlic begins to sizzle and brown, add the pork, flattening it into an even layer with a spatula. Turn the heat to high, season the pork lightly with salt and leave it undisturbed for five or six minutes until it begins to brown. The trick here is to let the meat get really crisp and golden. After it starts to crisp (you can peek with your spatula) on the underside, break it apart and continue to saute until it’s cooked through (no longer pink). Add the sauce and let sizzle until all the liquid has evaporated and the pork is dark, caramelized, very crispy and a little sticky. Using a slotted spoon, move pork to a bowl.

Serve the lettuce, vegetables and herbs, the pork and the rice and have each person build their own lettuce cups, adding a little bit of everything to the lettuce and wrapping it up like a little taco. If your lettuce leaves aren’t quite big enough, this is also great eating it more like a salad.