Pork Lettuce Cups

Originally posted 12/19/19 in the Archive


I’ve had so much time on my hands the last few weeks that today, I bring to you yet ANOTHER recipe. It’s a good time to be checking in to Eating Normal regularly if you’re looking for new things to try with me. Prior to the holiday weekend, I had a pound of ground beef/pork mix that needed to get used. I had defrosted it for pork bao buns the day prior, and with those buns made from the first half of that meat, I needed to do something. We’re still on a kick about food waste around here, after all.

​So, I opened the fridge. I had some whole lettuce that I impulsed purchased during a raid on another new grocery store, a pack of four different varieties in fact. I chose the sturdiest looking leaves out of the three lettuce heads and decided to try and make something a little healthier than the plate of nachos I embraced for lunch the two days prior.

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1. Prepare your produce. Dice a small yellow onion and two cloves of garlic. Once the onion is ready, heat a saute pan to medium and add oil. Once the oil begins to simmer, add onions and allow to sweat until translucent.
2. Once the onions reach this stage, add the garlic and the meat. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Add brown sugar and rice wine vinegar after breaking up the meat and allowing it to gain some color.
3. After most of the meat has browned, add your diced red bell pepper. The goal is to keep some of the crunch in the pepper while imparting flavor to the meat.
4. While your meat cooks, peel a carrot. Use your peeler to create long shaves of carrot as garnish for additional crunch. Use the juice from half a lemon on your carrot ribbons for acidity.
5. When you are satisfied with the cook on your meat and your peppers, remove from heat, drain off the fat, and allow to cool for about five minutes. This is a good time to clean your lettuce and prepare leaves for your lettuce cups.
6. Assemble as you like. I did not choose to use a sauce since I felt like the pork/beef mixture that I used retained a lot of moisture, but I would recommend a thick asian inspired sauce such as Thai Sweet Chili or Hoisin if you were so inclined. Enjoy!