Donna’s Pork, Peanut And Apple Lettuce Wraps

Chef Mike White created this winning recipe for the 2006 Wisconsin Pork Producers Annual Taste of Elegance contest. It is a light entree with lots of subtle flavors. (Mike White is a chef at Delmonico’s restaurant in Madison.)

2 pounds lean loin chops or pork tenderloin 1 tablespoon canola oil salt and pepper 1/2 cup Marsala wine

Filling ingredients

1 large sweet apple such as Gala, finely diced 1 large tart apple such as Granny Smith, finely diced 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 2 tablespoons finely chopped Serrano pepper 2 tablespoons lime juice 4 tablespoons soy sauce 1/2 cup lite coconut milk 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 cup chopped cilantro 1 cup chopped mint leaves 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut, optional 1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

Wrap:

green lettuce leaves

Trim white membrane from pork tenderloin or any fat from pork loin. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-hot heat until pork has a crisp golden crust on each side and is cooked until just slightly pink in the middle. Remove from pan and set aside. Deglaze pan with Marsala wine. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/2. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except peanuts and lettuce. Thinly slice the pork. Add meat and pan juices to the bowl. Toss to mix. Add peanuts right before serving. Place several tablespoons of the mixture on a lettuce leaf and roll to wrap.

Note: This recipe was adapted to make it easy to prepare in your home kitchen.

Serves 8

Nutritional Information per serving:

Calories: 390 Fat, gm.: 18 Protein, gm.: 40 Carbs, gm.: 17 Cholesterol, mg.: 75 Fiber, gm.: 2.5