Thai Pork Lettuce Cups with Cucumber + Herbs

In an effort to focus more on protein and vegetables we have been doing a lot of lettuce wraps and lettuce filled cups at home. And these Thai Pork Lettuce Cups with Cucumber + Herbs are our new favorite. The Thai pork alone is great to make a double batch of and eat off of throughout the week. Typically you would add a pinch of sugar to the meat, but my family has been trying to reduce the amount of added in sugars to our meals, and save the sugar time for a much rewarded dessert or treat on occasion. This recipe works great without the pinch of sugar, but also, feel free to add it in!

Toppings are endless. I like to have something crunchy, some type of onion, a hot sauce, and a good mix of herbs. From there people can build their own. For what is available right now at the stores, I think that butter lettuce works the best here for your cups, I peel away the larger leaves saving those for another salad, and get down to the middle where the smaller cups style leaves are.

Thai Pork Lettuce Cups with Cucumber + Herbs
serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Chile Ground Pork
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fermented chili paste
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1 cup Frontier Bone Broth
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Lettuce Cups
1 head of Butter Lettuce, washed and separated into individual leaves 
1 english cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced 
2 scallions, thinly sliced 
1 lime, sliced into wedges
Fresh basil, cilantro, mint
Chili fermented paste or another fermented hot sauce 

STEPS
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt coconut oil and then add shallot and garlic. Cook for about 4 minutes until shallot has softened. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the pork and chili paste. Cook, stirring occasionally until the pork is almost cooked through. Add fish sauce and soy sauce and cook until the moisture in the skill is evaporated. Pour in the broth, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. 

Remove the skillet from the heat and mix in the vinegar. Taste and season with salt or more chili paste if needed. Remove meat from the warm skillet to allow the meat to cool slightly, and the flavors to come together. 

To serve, I like to set up different topping options for my family and guests to build their own. Start with a lettuce cup, fill with chile ground pork, top with cucumbers, scallions, peppers, fresh herbs and a bit of chili paste. Maybe a squeeze of lime juice.