Ginger Pork Meatball Lettuce Wraps With Cilantro
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Cuisine: Chinese
Yield: Serves 3-4
Ingredients
  • For the meatballs:
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/3 cup finely-chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup finely-chopped scallions (white and green parts)
  • 1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely-chopped peeled fresh ginger or ginger juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
  • Finely-grated zest of 1 lime
  • 2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • For the dipping sauce:
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • For serving:
  • 1 head Boston or bibb lettuce, separated into leaves
  • 1/4 English cucumber, thinly-sliced
  • 2-3 scallions, white and light green parts, julienned
  • A large handful of cilantro sprigs
Instructions
  1. Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, gently combine the pork, cilantro, scallions, chile, ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and salt. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. (At this point you can wrap the meatballs well and refrigerate overnight before cooking.)
  2. Heat the broiler. Set the rack at least 4 inches from the heat source.
  3. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer, not touching, on one or two rimmed sheet pans.
  4. Broil the meatballs, turning the pan halfway through, until they are golden all over and just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil, and brown sugar.
  6. Serve with lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber, scallions, cilantro, and dipping sauce.
Notes
For consistency of size and even cooking, use a spring-loaded scoop to portion out the meatballs; I used the middle-sized scoop in this set (#50), which is 1 1/2 tablespoons. To make gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Recipe by A Modest Feast at http://www.amodestfeast.com/2017/08/17/ginger-pork-meatball-lettuce-wraps-cilantro/