Marinated and grilled pork chops are often served with rice in Vietnam but here they’re done as lettuce wraps. Though it does require time to marinate, this dish comes together quite quickly and thanks to crunchy cucumber, spicy jalapeño and plentiful fresh herbs, there’s no shortage of texture and flavor.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 40 min |
| Prep: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemongrass
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds thin boneless pork chops
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon grated carrot
- 1 teaspoon Asian chile sauce, such as sambal oelek
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated
- 1/2 bunch mint
- 1/2 bunch basil
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 red jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cup prepared fried shallots, scallions or onions
- 1 bag Asian shrimp chips
Instructions
- Prepare the pork: Mash the garlic into a paste with the flat side of a knife. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the lemongrass, shallots, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
- Make the sauce: Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Stir in the carrot, chile sauce and garlic.
- Preheat a grill to high. Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the pork from the marinade and grill until well marked, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then cut into strips. Arrange the pork and lettuce on a platter; set out the herbs, cucumber, jalapeño and fried shallots for fixings. Assemble the lettuce wraps and serve with the carrot sauce and shrimp chips.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 358 |
| Total Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 21 g |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Cholesterol | 74 mg |
| Sodium | 1549 mg |
Reviews
Really packs in the flavor. Made this tonight and even the kids ate every bite. It’s so perfectly balanced and filling and refreshing. This is for sure to end up in our regular dinner rotation!
My family loves this dish. So fresh tasting with all the herbs and the sauce is to die for! We also made it chicken and it was great. Didn’t have boston leaves and actually made a salad w/ lettuce, cucumbers, herbs and carrots then topped with the sauce. We make some jasmine rice to accompany and it’s a perfect meal!
These are the most authentic lettuce wraps I have tasted outside of Thailand and Vietnam. Bravo. If I was left on a desert island and only could have one dish, this would be it. It’s like an explosion of flavors on your tongue: sweet, savory, hot, spicy, minty, herby, refreshing and exciting. I totally agree with Bluecaster. Wow!
Wow, this is just incredible. There is so much flavor going on, and just the right amount of heat. The marinade is perfect for the pork and the sauce tastes so authentic. I’ve never pulled off a Vietnamese style dish until this one, and I am quite proud of myself – thanks to Food Network. Highly recommended.
I can’t stop myself ..LOL This is wonderful i would love to make this. Seems one of best recipe!!
Would give this 6 stars if I could! Flavors are amazing together. Officially addicted and crave this frequently! Kids love it!
So tasty! I made this recipe minus the lemongrass because I did not have any, and it was still amazing. The marinade for the pork is so good, even my kids loved it! This recipe will be a new staple in our home.
Delicious! And the marinade for the pork is amazing, will definitely use again!
Made these wraps for dinner the other night and will definitely be making these again! The sauce and marinated pork taste just like they do when ordered at a vietnamese restaurant! Everyone in my family loved them and they were fun and easy to assemble.