Recipe for a classic Vietnamese dish of lettuce wraps with braised pork and eggs, rice, pickled daikon and carrots, fresh cilantro and Thai Basil. A wonderful fresh flavour
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 4 hourshours
Total Time: 4 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3lbspork roast
1/2cupsugar
3tbswater
3cupscoconut water
1/2cupfish sauce
2thai chilies
1/4cupfresh ginger, minced
5garlic cloves, minced
3star anise
1cinnamon stick
3whole cloves
1tspAsian five spice
6boiled eggs
1daikon, julienned
3medium carrots, julienned
1/2cupvinegar
1/2cupwater
1/2cupsugar
2cupscooked rice
1head boston or romaine lettuce
1bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
1/2cupthai basil leaves
Instructions
In a large frypan, add the 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tbsp of water. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. As the syrup continues to boil, it will start to brown (you are actually making caramel here). When it turns medium brown in colour remove it from the heat element. Stir in the coconut water until the caramel is dissolved fully into the water. Put the pan back on the heating element.
Add the fish sauce, chilies, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves and Asian five spice to the pan and bring back to a boil.
Add the pork roast and lower to a medium low heat. Cover the pan and let cook for about four hours. Every hour or so, stir the sauce and flip the meat.
After the four hours of cooking, remove the meat from the broth and, using two forks, shred the meat. Add the meat back to the broth and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. In the last 5 minutes add the boiled eggs.
To make the pickled vegetables, julienne the carrots and daikon into sticks the size of matches. Bring the 1/2 cup of vinegar, water, and sugar to a boil. With the julienned vegetables in a bowl, pour the pickling mixture over them and let stand for at least 30 minutes.
To assemble the lettuce wraps, use boston or romaine lettuce leaves. On the leaf add the rice, meat, pickled veggies, cilantro and thai basil. Add some sriachi sauce if you want some heat.