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Vietnamese Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

A classic with sous vide pork shoulder
Credit: Elizabeth Grubel
Course Main Course
Cuisine Vietnamese
Keyword Sous Vide
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 2 hours
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • 1 Sous Vide Machine
  • 1 Large Pot
  • 1 Large Skillet
  • 1 Large Ziplock Bag -- or vacuum seal sous vide bag
  • 1 Large Binder Clip -- optional
  • 1 Medium Non-Reactive Bowl -- Nonreactive bowls are often made from stainless steel, glass, ceramic, or coated with enamel.
  • 1 Ceramic Baking Dish
  • 2 Large Forks

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil -- all olive oil we use is extra virgin
  • 1 medium Yellow Onion
  • 8 cloves Garlic -- minced
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger -- peeled and minced
  • 1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Fish Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1 tsp Sriracha -- to taste
  • 5 lbs Pork Shoulder -- boneless, skinless, fat cap removed
  • 2 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar -- 1/2 tbsp if using sugar in the raw
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
  • 2 medium Carrots -- julienned (cut into thin matchstick-like strips)
  • 1 cup Bean Spouts
  • 1 head Little Gem or Butter Lettuce -- separated into leaves
  • 1 bunch Cilantro -- stems removed
  • 1 package Vermicelli Rice Noodles -- prepared per package instructions
  • 1 bunch Mint -- stems removed

Instructions

Prepare the Pork

  • Set Sous Vide to 158F
  • Heat large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add sesame and olive oils and heat until shimmering.
  • Add onions, stir to combine. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onions have softened and lightly browned.
  • Add garlic and continue to cooking until onions are caramelized.
  • Remove from heat. Add ginger and stir.
  • Add hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and water to the pan. Stir to combine.
  • Add sriracha to taste.
  • Place pork in a ziplock bag or vacuum seal bag with onion and hoisin mixture. Seal the bag for sous vide.
  • Place pork bag in water bath and set timer for 24 hours. Cover water bath with plastic wrap to minimize evaporation. Add water intermittently to keep the pork bag submerged. A large binder clip is helpful to keep the bag in place.

Prepare the Pickled Vegetables

  • Whisk together granulated sugar, salt, and rice vinegar in the non-reactive bowl. Add carrots and beansprouts.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 2 days.

Finishing Steps

  • Preheat oven to 500F
  • Remove pork bag from the water bath.
  • Remove pork from the bag. Reserve the cooking liquid. Discard any large pieces of fat.
  • Using two large forks, shred the pork into bite sized pieces. Meat should be very tender and should shred easily.
  • Place shredded pork in the baking dish. Add some of the reserve cooking liquid to the dish. Reserve 1/2 cup for optional mustard sauce.
  • Bake at 500F for 10 to 15 minutes until caramelized.
  • Assemble lettuce cups by fill cups with pork, top with pickled vegetables, cilantro, mint, and vermicelli rice noodles.