Pork and Chili Stir-Fry

1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced Ginger
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
2 teaspoons sambal olek or other spicy red chili sauce
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
2-3 Green Chilies (sliced jalapenos, serranos, or bird’s eye chilis, depending on how hot you want your dish)
1/2 cup chopped Spring onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 head butter lettuce

In a 10-inch pan over medium high heat, add oil. To the hot oil, add minced ginger and garlic and let them sizzle for 2-3 seconds. Add the ground pork. Mix well and brown the meat, breaking up all the clumps. You want some crispy parts, but mainly you want to cook the pork well.

While the meat cooks, chop up the green onions and cilantro. Mix them in a bowl and set aside.

After about 8 minutes when the meat is almost done, push the meat to the sides to create a small space in the middle. Add the sliced green and red chilis.

Pour in soy sauce, sesame oil, the sambal olek if using and stir well.

Turn off the stove and let the pork rest uncovered for 3-4 minutes to cool a little.

Stir in the chopped green onions and cilantro. Sprinkle the lemon juice and stir well.

Separate the butter lettuce leaves and allow your diners to serve themselves some of the spicy pork mixture into each butter lettuce, leaf. Or skip the lettuce and just eat the meat—good either way.

Easy Scallion Pancakes

6-8 scallions
salt (to taste)
vegetable, canola, or light olive oil (for brushing and cooking your scallion pancakes)
1 pack store-bought round, white dumpling wrappers (1 lb or 450g)

Wash the scallions and pat them thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel. Slice the scallions in half lengthwise and finely chop them.

Prepare a small dish of salt and a dish of oil, along with a pastry brush.

On a clean work surface, take a dumpling wrapper, brush it with a thin layer of oil, and lightly sprinkle with salt. Then cover with a layer of scallions. Top it with another dumpling wrapper, and lightly press it down. Repeat the process until you have 4-7 layers of dumpling wrappers.

Use a rolling pin to roll the layered dumpling skins into a pancake––however thick or thin you like. Rotate the scallion pancake as you roll to get a perfect round shape.

Heat a flat-bottomed non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Spread 1 tablespoon oil around in the pan, and add the scallion pancake. Cook each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Avoid using high heat, as it will burn the pancake without cooking it through).

If the pan looks dry after flipping the pancake, you can add another tablespoon of oil.

Enjoy these plain or with a dipping sauce! We’ve found that they go great with our dumpling dipping sauce.

To pre-make and freeze any uncooked scallion pancakes:
After rolling out each pancake, place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper, and place another sheet of paper on top.

Layer the scallion pancakes between the wax paper or parchment paper.

Transfer to a large freezer bag, and place on a flat shelf in the freezer so they freeze flat.

To cook, add them directly to a pan with hot oil––no need to thaw beforehand.