Quick Dinner: Spicy Ginger Pork

We're all about quick dinners and this is a favorite in our house. I tend to add more of certain things because I like them (garlic, ginger, sweet chile sauce, cilantro), but the recipe is probably perfect as is.  It's relatively healthy (no carbs, lots of fresh ingredients), only requires one pan, and is delicious.  Every time we make it we wonder why we don't make it more often. 

Spicy Ginger Pork in Lettuce Leaves
from Food and Wine

3/4 pound ground pork (we've used ground chicken, too, but pork is more flavorful)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 garlic clove, minced (or more)

1 T ginger, minced (or more)

1 T Thai sweet chile sauce (or more)

1 T Asian fish sauce

1 t Asian sesame oil

1 T plus 1 t olive oil (the recipe calls for grapeseed oil)

1 8-ounce can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 T oyster sauce

2 T chopped cilantro (definitely more)

1 head Boston lettuce

Combine the ground pork, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, chile sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.


Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the pork mixture and stir-fry over high heat, breaking it up, until it is cooked through and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add the water chestnuts, scallions, oyster sauce and cilantro.

Spoon the pork into bowls. Stack the lettuce leaves on plates. Spoon the pork onto the lettuce leaves, roll up and eat.

So good.  Some day I will learn how to take pictures that do the food justice.