Name: Thai-style pork lettuce cups
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup uncooked jasmine rice (Nici prefers brown); 100 gram thin rice noodles or vermicelli; 2 tablespoon cooking oil; 400 to 500g pork mince; 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or ½ tsp salt); 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 4 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed, thinly sliced; pinch brown sugar; juice from 1 lime; 8 to 12 lettuce cups, washed and separated; 1/2 red onion, diced very fine; 1/4 cup peanuts, crushed; 3 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted; store-bought chilli jam, to serve

Thai-style pork lettuce cups

Nici Wickes' pork lettuce cups recipe is clean, punchy, textural and quick to prepare. This gluten and dairy-free dish is equally suited for fast weeknight meals or a dinner party spread

Skip to Recipe

Makes 8

Prep

15M

Cook

20M

Total

35M

This recipe first appeared in New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.

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Ingredients

1/4 cup uncooked jasmine rice (Nici prefers brown)

100 gram thin rice noodles or vermicelli

2 tablespoon cooking oil

400 to 500g pork mince

1 tablespoon fish sauce (or ½ tsp salt)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed, thinly sliced

pinch brown sugar

juice from 1 lime

8 to 12 lettuce cups, washed and separated

1/2 red onion, diced very fine

1/4 cup peanuts, crushed

3 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

store-bought chilli jam, to serve

Method

1.Dry-fry the rice in a pan for 10 minutes until well toasted. Keep the pan moving so the grains toast evenly. Cool, then crush in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. No need to take it to a powder – roughly crushed is fine.

2.In a bowl, pour in enough boiling water to cover the noodles. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 10 minutes, then drain and repeat. Drain well.

3.Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the pork, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. Add the roasted rice, fish sauce, sesame oil, kaffir lime leaves and brown sugar, stirring until the pork is cooked. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the lime juice.

4.Serve on a large platter or wooden board with piles of lettuce leaves and noodles, along with the pork and small bowls of red onion, nuts, sesame seeds and a jar of chilli jam.

5.Start building and eat!

Roasted rice is a common addition in many Thailand dishes that use chicken or pork mince. It adds a wonderful flavour and acts as a binder. Try it!

Note

Nici Wickes

A published cookbook author, entertainer, broadcaster, food stylist, recipe developer and food editor Nici Wickes is all about no-fuss, confidence-building cooking.

Ingredients

Method

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