Pork Meatballs in Butter Lettuce Cups

with Soy Dipping Sauce & Sticky Rice

25 MIN

2 Servings

Wellness at Blue Apron

Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.

Vegetarian

These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.

Carb Conscious

This applies to meal kit recipes with 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. Carb Conscious Add-ons contain 20g or less net carbs.

Mediterranean Diet

Our Mediterranean recipes are inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, a healthy eating plan recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published jointly every five years by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). This eating plan highlights the flavors and cooking styles from countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including those in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. These recipes showcase a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, as well as lean proteins and moderate portions of dairy.

600 Calories or Less

These meals contain 600 calories or less per serving. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.

Wellness Grain

These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.

Pescatarian

These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.

30g Of Protein

These meals contain 30g or more of protein per serving, and are ideal for those looking to focus their meals around protein intake.

Keto Friendly

These meals have approximately 10% of calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 70% from dietary fats (per serving).

45g Of Protein

These meal kit recipes contain 45g or more of protein per serving, and are ideal for those looking to focus their meals around protein intake.

Nutritionist's Pick

These meals are selected by Blue Apron’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. They are centered around nutritious and wholesome ingredients, featuring whole grains and fresh produce which provide fiber. They also contain moderate portions of dairy and lean protein while being mindful of saturated fat.

Wheat Free

These meals are prepared with ingredients that do not contain wheat. They feature grains such as barley and rice as well as proteins and vegetables.

Reduced Sodium

These Prepared and Ready dishes contain at least 25% less sodium per 100 grams (or 3.5 oz) than our average Prepared and Ready Meal as of October 1, 2024. Sodium content has been reduced from 330 mg per 100 grams to 250 mg per 100 grams. These dishes focus on ingredients with strong flavor and moderate salt.

Vegan

To view a recipe's full nutrition information, head to your Upcoming page at blueapron.com, click on a specific recipe, then head to the Nutrition tab and select 'View Full Nutrition.' Nutrition Facts Panels are available up to 1.5 weeks in advance

From the Test Kitchen

For this refreshing dish, we’re taking inspiration from Southeast Asian cuisines. Our pork meatballs are packed with warm, citrusy flavors, like those of coriander and lemongrass. We’re coating the meatballs in a little tangy-sweet soy sauce (the rest of the sauce is for dipping) and serving them in crisp lettuce cups. Butter lettuce is perfect for the job: its leaves are not only buttery-smooth, but also uniquely sturdy, perfect for holding the meatballs and deliciously sticky rice. As a special touch, we’re also adding delicately crunchy pea shoots.

See Plans

Nutrition

PER SERVING
Calories

700 Cals (est.)

fresh

ingredients

10 oz Ground Pork
¾ cup Sushi Rice
2 Scallions
1 head Butter Lettuce
1 Red Onion
1 oz Pea Shoots
1 large bunch Mint
¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
¼ cup Rice Vinegar
¼ cup Soy Glaze
2 tsps Pork Meatball Spice Blend (White Sesame Seeds, Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Ground Coriander & Lemongrass Powder)

time-saving

tips & techniques

step-by-step

instructions

Cook Along

1 Cook the rice:

In a small pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and ¾ cup of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 11 to 13 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Set aside in a warm place.

2 Prepare the ingredients & make the sauce:

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; separate the leaves. Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Peel and halve the onion; small dice 1 half and thinly slice the remaining half. Place the sliced onion in a small bowl with half the vinegar. To make the sauce, in a separate small bowl, combine the soy glaze and remaining vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste.

3 Cook the aromatics:

In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced onion, white bottoms of the scallions and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe out the pan.

4 Form the meatballs:

Add the ground pork and breadcrumbs to the bowl of cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Using your hands, form the mixture into 16 equal-sized meatballs.

5 Cook the meatballs:

In the pan used to cook the aromatics, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Add ¼ of the sauce and ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, occasionally spooning the sauce over the meatballs, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly reduced in volume and the meatballs are thoroughly coated. Remove from heat.

6 Plate your dish:

Place a few lettuce leaves on each plate; fill each with the sticky rice, pea shoots and meatballs. Top with the pickled onion. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side. Garnish with the mint and the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!