This dish takes about 40 minutes of prep time. While romaine lettuce can be substituted, I recommend that you use Boston lettuce. I use boneless pork chops for the meat as it adds a little (tasty) fat to the dish and I simply use my food processor to grind the meat.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground pork
6 minced garlic cloves
2 large minced shallots
1 large jalapeno, seeded and minced
Juice of one lime (plus lime wedges for serving)
2 tablespoons of Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha (chile sauce)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped basil
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 large head Boston lettuce
1. In a bowl, mix pork, garlic, shallots and jalapeno.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar and Sriracha.
3. In a skillet, heat oil. Add the pork mixture and cook over high heat, stirring to break up the meat, until no pink remains(about 5 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and stir in lime mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer meat to a bowl. Stir in herbs and season with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and top with peanuts.
7. Serve with lime wedges, sticky rice (recipe below) and extra Sriracha.
Foolproof Sticky Rice
2 cups of white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups of water
1. Put rice in a small pot. Add olive oil and salt. Stir to coat rice.
2. Turn burner on high and add water.
3. When water boils, turn burner to lowest setting. Cover pot and set timer for 15 minutes.
4. At 15 minute mark, turn off burner. Leave pot in place for another 15 minutes.
5. Uncover pot and serve rice.
Wine pairing: If you like white, try an off-dry Riesling or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. If you prefer red, choose a fruity Zinfandel.
