Coconut, ginger, peanuts, and mint give an Asian flair to the pork filling. For individual appetizers, fill lettuce leaves and roll before serving.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded dry coconut
- 1 tablespoon salad oil
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 pound ground lean pork
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
- 3 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh hot chiles
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam) or soy sauce
- Fresh mint sprigs
- 2 small heads (about 1-1/2 pounds each) butter lettuce, rinsed and crisped
Preparation:
In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, stir coconut over medium-low heat until golden and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add oil to pan and place over medium heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic; stir often until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add pork; stir until meat is crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard fat. Add lime juice, chopped mint, peanuts, coconut, chiles, and fish sauce to taste; mix to blend.Pour into a dish and garnish with mint sprigs. Accompany with lettuce leaves. To eat, spoon warm meat mixture onto a leaf, then roll to enclose.
Yield: 8 to 10 appetizer or 4 or 5 entree servings.
Per Serving: 224 calories, 11 grams protein, 7.7 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams fat, 33 milligrams cholesterol, 42 milligrams sodium
Source: Sunset 1992 Recipe Annual (Sunset Publishing)
Reprinted with express written permission.
