Banh Mi Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps Food

PORK BANH MI LETTUCE WRAPS

Steps:

• For the quick pickled veggies: Mix the veggies together and pack them tightly into a jar (or two). Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt over medium high heat until boiling. Pour the boiling water over the veggies. Cover and let sit for at least an hour.
• Now to make the sauce for the pork! Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and swirl to coat, then stir in the chopped onions and cook for 4 - 6 minutes or until the onion is very soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and carrots and cook a couple more minutes. Stir in the cooking liquid, hoisin sauce and fish sauce, then stir in the shredded pork, coating it in the sauce. Stir in the reserved onions as well.
• To make the wraps: Choosing leaves that naturally look a bit rounded and crunchy (like a taco shell), set 2-3 leaves of Romaine on a plate. (If your leaves aren't wide enough or if you want extra crunch, you might put two lettuce leaves together for each "wrap".) Add a generous serving of the pork down the center of each leaf and top with the pickled veggies (drained), a sprinkle of cilantro and a sprinkle of chopped roasted peanuts. Drizzle with the Yum Yum sauce if you like and enjoy!

BANH-MI WRAP: VIETNAMESE GRILLED PORK WRAP WITH PICKLED CARROTS AND MINT

Steps:

• For the pickled carrots: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, and salt until dissolved. Add the carrots, toss to coat and allow to pickle for about 2 hours. For the pork: Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, garam masala, black pepper, garlic and shallots in a re-sealable plastic bag. Seal and shake until well dissolved. Add the pork to the bag, massage the marinade into the pork and marinate for 1 hour. When you're ready to cook the pork, grab a large cast-iron skillet. Place the pan over high heat until it is smoking. Using a pair of tongs, pull each pork chop out of the marinade, shake off the excess and place it in the pan. Don't crowd the pan - no meat should be touching! You want the meat to sear, not steam. After about 2 minutes, flip each chop; it should be a caramel brown color. Cook another minute on the other side and remove from the pan. If you're cooking in batches, cook the remaining chops. Slice the chops into thin strips. For the sandwiches: Warm the tortillas up over an open flame so they become soft and pliable. I also like to char them a little! If you don't have a gas stove, warm them in a pan over medium heat, or pop them in a microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Smear a little mayo down the middle of the tortilla. Then, pile a little layer of pickled carrots, some cucumber slices, a few sprigs of cilantro, some mint leaves, pork chop strips, a few slices of chiles a and squeeze of fresh lime juice over the top. Wrap, and secure with toothpick. Wrap in parchment paper if you're taking them to the beach, or just eat right away if you're not!;
• Add the green cardamom seeds, cloves, black cardamom seeds and cinnamon sticks to a spice/coffee grinder and grind until fine. Store in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.

BAHN MI LETTUCE WRAPS

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepan three-quarters with water. Add the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and then drop the shrimp into the boiling water, cook until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.
• While shrimp cooks, create an ice bath. Drain the shrimp and place in the ice bath. Once cooled, drain the shrimp and pat off any excess water. Set aside.
• Combine the vinegar, apples, carrots, cucumbers, jalapenos and scallions in a bowl. Season the salad with salt and pepper.
• To assemble the wraps, lay out the lettuce leaves. Divide the poached shrimp and salad among the leaves. Top each with a sprig of cilantro.
• To prepare ahead of time, pack the lettuce, shrimp and 1/4 cup salad in separate containers and assemble when you're ready to eat.