These wraps are a really nice end to a hot day.  Simple, filling and refreshing.

Teriyaki Pork Lettuce Wraps

1 pound boneless country style pork spare ribs
2 tablespoons sesame oil
a little seasoning salt and pepper
1 cup teriyaki sauce (recipe below)
romaine or butter lettuce leaves, whole
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
3 Tbsp Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce
1 sheet rice sticks pasta
¼ cup chopped peanuts

In a large bowl, soak rice sticks in water (filtered if your water quality is poor).  In a small bowl, stir grated carrot together with Mae Ploy Sauce.  Once rice sticks have softened, transfer to colander and drain completely.

Heat a large skillet to medium heat.  Rinse pork ribs and sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper.  Heat sesame oil in pan and cook pork, 3-5 minutes per side, until brown.  Pour Teriyaki sauce over pork and continue to cook on medium low heat until pork pulls apart easily and sauce thickens (around 30 minutes).

Serve pork in a lettuce cup, topped with rice noodle, marinated carrot, cilantro and chopped peanuts.

Teriyaki Sauce

1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons freshly finely chopped lemongrass (optional)
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
¼ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons molasses
1 ½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup pineapple juice
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sesame seed

In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, combine sesame oil, garlic, ginger and lemongrass and simmer gently until fragrant but not brown.  Stir in brown sugar and molasses and simmer, stirring frequently until sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens.  Stir in rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple juice and orange juice.  Simmer mixture for around 5 minutes.  Finish by stirring in sesame seeds.

A great many mahalo to my dear friend Victoria at the Halau, who always encourages me to embrace my love of Asian fusion AND showed me the ropes around all the local markets.  There never seems to be an ingredient I can’t find!

Eat Well!

~Trish