San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Wraps)
User Reviews
5
San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Wraps)
Description
The sauce blends light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, and a cornstarch slurry to create a glossy, thickened coating. The filling is prepared by stir-frying garlic, ginger, onion, then adding ground pork and cooking until white. A mix of finely chopped vegetables including carrot, water chestnuts, baby corn, and mushrooms is added and cooked until tender.
Once the filling is cooked through, the sauce is incorporated and thickens to evenly coat all ingredients, resulting in a flavorful, glossy mixture. The filling is served alongside large, soft lettuce leaves such as butter lettuce or bibb, which are preferred for their pliability compared to iceberg lettuce.
To eat, spoon the pork and vegetable filling onto a lettuce leaf, top with crushed peanuts and sliced scallions, then wrap and enjoy. The dish is adaptable to different proteins or a vegetarian option by substituting pork with chopped vegetables or tofu.
This recipe typically serves three as a main or up to six as a starter and balances tender, savory meat filling with fresh, crisp lettuce and nutty garnishes.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 1/4 tsp cornstarch or cornflour
- 3 tbsp water separated
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce Note 1, light
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or sub Mirin or dry sherry, Note 2)
- 1 tsp white sugar (can omit)
Filling (Note 6)
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 clove garlic minced, large
- 1/2 tsp ginger minced
- 300g / 10oz pork mince (ground pork) (Note 3)
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely chopped, small
- 100g/ 3.5oz water chestnuts drained and finely chopped (Note 4, canned
- 5 baby corn canned or fresh, finely chopped (Note 4
- 5 mushroom finely chopped(shiitake is best, I used Swiss Brown
Serving
- 8 leaves lettuce Note 5, large or 16-20 small, preferably soft
- peanuts crushed
- scallions or shallots, finely sliced
Instructions
- Mix cornflour with 1 tbsp water until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and mix.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, give it a quick stir then add onion.
- Cook for 1 minute then add pork. Cook pork until it turns white.
- Add all the vegetables. Cook for 2 minutes until the carrot is softened and pork is cooked through.
- Add Sauce and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until it thickens and glossy, coating the Filling.
- Transfer Filling into serving bowl. Lay out lettuce leaves, peanuts and scallions on the side.
- To serve, spoon some Filling into a lettuce leaf. Top with peanuts and scallions, bundle it up and enjoy!
Notes
- Use light soy sauce for saltiness and dark soy sauce for color; avoid using only dark soy as its flavor is too strong.
- Chinese cooking wine can be substituted with Mirin or dry sherry; for a non-alcoholic version, use low-sodium chicken broth and water instead.
- Pork mince is preferred for flavor, but chicken or chopped vegetables can be used as alternatives.
- Water chestnuts provide a unique crunchy texture and can be omitted if unavailable.
- Use soft lettuce leaves like Butter, Bibb, or Baby Gem for easier wrapping and to prevent tearing, rather than iceberg lettuce.
- The recipe makes enough for approximately three main servings or six starters.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 253 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 255g | |
| Calories | 253cal | 13% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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