Pork San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Wraps)
by Jay Wadams
Made from crisp, cool lettuce cups with a delicious filling of spicy pork, San Chow Bow is one of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants. Super simple to prepare at home, this is a fun family meal for eating with your hands!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely diced
- 1 chilli pepper diced
- 3 spring onions scallions or green onions, whites roughly chopped and greens sliced
- 500 g pork mince (ground pork)
- 1 Tbsp soft brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce or hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp lime juice or rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 225 g can of water chestnuts drained and roughly chopped
- 75 g ½ cup peanuts roughly chopped
to serve:
- 24 lettuce leaves iceberg lettuce, baby cos or baby gem
optional:
- 2 handfuls of bean sprouts
- Basmati or Jasmine Rice
Scan the QR Code to view the online recipe with detailed instructions, photos, hints, tips and more at daysofjay.com
Instructions
- PREPARE: Prepare all ingredients in the list, dice all vegetables and wash lettuce.
- SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: Heat the oil in a large frying pan, skillet or wok over high heat. Cook the ginger for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the garlic, chilli and whites of the spring onions and cook for 30 seconds.
- BROWN MEAT: Add the pork to the pan, break up any large chunks, and cook over high heat until no more pink is visible. Add the brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes, then add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, water chestnuts and peanuts.
- SIMMER: Cook over medium heat until the liquids have almost entirely evaporated, then remove from the heat and stir through the spring onion greens.
- SERVE: Serve immediately. I like to put big bowls of filling, lettuce leaves and bean sprouts (if using) in the middle of the table and let everyone make their own - it's part of the fun.
Notes
Meat: Pork, Beef, Turkey or Chicken are all suitable for this dish.
Nut-free: Leave out the nuts. You may like to add some sesame seeds or similar for extra crunch.
No water chestnuts: If you can't find water chestnuts, use sliced radishes, as I have in the pictures.
Vegetarian Lettuce wraps: San Chow Bow can be made successfully with chopped mushrooms, extra-firm tofu or meat substitutes such as Quorn. Omit the Oyster sauce and use Hoi sin instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 8 lettuce cups | Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1217mg | Potassium: 1007mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10867IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 4mg