I thought I’d share with you another recipe from my column that I did a couple of months back. This dish has been in my life for a long time and I always make these for many different occasions. I even make them for just a snack, they are that moorish!
So, I think the earliest memory of me having a version of this dish, must have been when I was only about 4 years old. But back then, they would wrap it all up in a large lettuce leaf. It is quite a retro dish for these days but I have come up with a version that I feel never dates or fails.
The sauce is something I have been having for years with these, noodle soups and Chinese dumplings so I thought I’d share that with you too. When you drizzle that sauce on top, it will give it a real kick.
I love serving these little cups when entertaining, they always look great served up on trays for people and they always seem to get an “ooh” when they come round. You can also use this recipe for a starter one night, a light Lunch or even on a Chinese banquet as my “Chinese nights” always seem to end up as!
They are very quick to prepare and they don’t break the bank to buy the ingredients either.
Lately I’ve being seeing a lot of Pork mince reduced so if you aren’t sure what to do with it, buy it and fear no longer.
Chinese pork lettuce cups:
Ingredients:
– 1 tbsp of Rapeseed oil or you can use, sunflower or groundnut oil
- Pork mince 35og will make about 12 cups
- Half a green chilli chopped finely
- 4 Spring onions, half of pork mix, half for garnishing
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice blend ( I use Spice Kitchen )
- 1 tbsp of Light soy sauce ( Mine is from Wang Fung Hong in Leicester )
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- small grating of fresh Ginger (about a small thumbnail amount)
- 2 Little Gem lettuces
- For the garnish: Thinly sliced cucumber
Thinly sliced Spring onionThinly sliced carrot (julienned)Handful of fresh chopped corianderRed chilli chopped finely
Hot Sauce:
- 2 tbsp of Sriracha sauce ( Mine is from Wang Fung Hong)
- 1 tbsp of malt vinegar
- 1 tbsp Tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- sprinkle of chilli flakes ( put more if you want it hotter )
- sprinkle of caster sugar
N.B If you find the sauce is too tangy, sometimes I add 1/2 tbsp Oyster sauce to this also.
Method:
- In a wok or a frying pan start to fry off the spring onion, garlic, chilli and ginger for only a minute.
- Add your pork mince and stir for a couple of minutes breaking up all clumps of the meat.
- As your pork mince is starting to turn brown, add in your Chinese five spice and again, stir for a couple of minutes
- Add in your soy sauce, stir and when your Pork is cooked, turn your heat down just to keep warm.
* Assemble your Pork mince into the lettuce cups, garnish and serve with your sauce.
ChezJ9 