As we settle in for another winter of hearty meals, it’s nice to treat ourselves to the occasional light and summery dish.
Char Siu (or Chinese BBQ) pork tenderloin lettuce wraps are a simple and refreshing option. Butcher and cooking instructor Elyse Chatterton says tenderloin is lean, tender and easy to barbecue.
“This dish goes perfectly with some really nice thin pieces of cucumbers, some green onions and then you kind of wrap it all up in some iceberg lettuce,” she says. “It’s like the perfect sunny-day lunch.”
CHAR SIU PORK TENDERLOIN LETTUCE WRAPS
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and grated finely
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
iceberg lettuce, washed and torn into cups
green onions, sliced thin
cucumbers, sliced into thin batons
Mix the ginger, garlic, sugar, hoisin, soy sauce, five-spice powder and paprika together and marinade the pork tenderloin for at least 20 minutes, ideally overnight.
Preheat the BBQ to a medium high heat. Scrape off as much of the marinade from the pork but save it for basting later.
Turn the tenderloin every few minutes. If the meat sticks to the grill, turn up the heat a little and cook till the meat releases from the grill.
Baste the meat with the marinade as you turn it. If you have any marinade left, cook gently till bubbling for a few minutes to serve with the pork.
Cook the meat to an internal temperature of 145F.
Allow to rest for five minutes.
Slice the meat thinly against the grain.
Fill the iceberg lettuce cuts with pork, green onions and cucumber batons. Serve with the leftover marinade or extra hoisin sauce.
RECIPE RECAP
Discover even more recipes from our Backyard BBQ community—for whatever you’re cooking up today:
Beef | Poultry | Pork | Seafood | Side Dishes | Desserts | More
SHOP LOCAL
Visit AMA’s Backyard BBQ partners to pick up all your barbecue needs.