Two pork and lettuce cups on a wood cutting board.

Grilled Pork Lettuce Cups with Cola-Pickled Onions

Name: Grilled Pork Lettuce Cups with Cola-Pickled Onions Recipe
Prep time: 7 h
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Cuisine: Pork
Ingredients: 2 lb Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs; 6 tbsp Gochujang (Korean fermented red chile paste); 4 cloves Garlic; 1 3/4 in Fresh Ginger Root (piece, peeled and sliced); 3 tbsp Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine); 1 tbsp Soy Sauce; 2 tsp Sesame Oil; 16 Butter Lettuce Leaves (from about 2 heads); 1 1/2 cups Cola (12 oz can or bottle); 1/2 cup Soy Sauce; 2 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce; 1/2 cup Cider Vinegar; 2 tbsp Lime Juice; 2 Red Onions (halved and sliced lengthwise); Additional Items:; Blender; Medium Sauce Pan; Medium Bowl; Resealable Plastic Storage Bag; Cutting Board

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Pork Checkoff

Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 6 - 7 hours
Cook Time: 10 - 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs
Gochujang (Korean fermented red chile paste)
Garlic
Fresh Ginger Root (piece, peeled and sliced)
Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Butter Lettuce Leaves (from about 2 heads)
Cola (12 oz can or bottle)
Soy Sauce
Chili Garlic Sauce
Cider Vinegar
Lime Juice
Red Onions (halved and sliced lengthwise)

Additional Items:

• Blender
• Medium Sauce Pan
• Medium Bowl
• Reseable Plastic Bag
• Cutting Board

Directions:

For the pork:
1. In a blender, combine red chile paste, garlic, ginger, mirin, soy sauce and sesame oil then proceed to puree.
2. Place pork in a resealable bag, add pureed marinade, and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Meanwhile, make the pickles:
1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine cola, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce.
2. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat to avoid boiling over, until reduced to 3/4 cup.
  Note: About 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the saucepan.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in vinegar and lime juice.
4. Place onions in a medium bowl and stir in cola mixture.
5. Set aside at room temperature for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  Note: If pickling longer, set mixture aside in the refrigerator.
Prepare a grill to medium-high and lightly oil the grate.
Remove pork from marinade (discard marinade) and on the cooking grates.
Grill until the internal temperature is 145℉ (medium rare) to 160℉ (medium), 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Remove pork from the grill and let rest for 3 minutes.
Thinly slice pork, arrange on lettuce leaves, and top with loosely drained pickled onions.
Note: Alternately, you can serve pork, lettuce, and onions on a platter and let guests create their own lettuce cups.
Serve and enjoy.