Chinese Lettuce Wraps (San Choy Bow )
One of my favourite Chinese starters – Lettuce Wraps with pork or chicken, loads of hidden crunchy vegetables in a tasty savoury brown sauce, bundled up in fresh lettuce. Also known as San Choy Bow, it’s arguably the ultimate “just happens to be healthy” food in the whole wide world …..
Direction:
1. Carefully remove the leaves of the Chinese lettuce and wash them thoroughly. Pat them dry and set them aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
3. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and ground ginger to the skillet with the meat. Cook for a few minutes until the onions have softened.
4. Season the meat mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and water. Pour this mixture over the meat and stir to combine.
6. Cook the meat for another 5-7 minutes, until it is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.
7. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped green onion, cilantro, and cashews.
8. To serve, spoon the meat mixture onto the Chinese lettuce leaves and wrap them up like a taco.
9. Enjoy your delicious Chinese lettuce wraps! You can also add additional seasoning or dried spices to taste, such as chili flakes, sesame seeds, or Chinese five-spice powder. Serve with additional soy sauce or hoisin sauce for dipping, if desired.
