Pork Mince Recipe (One-Pan Aussie San Choy Bow)

This pork mince recipe is a quick take on san choy bow: browned pork mince with ginger, garlic and a sticky honey glaze, spooned into crisp lettuce cups. It’s ready in about 25 minutes.

Everyone builds their own cups at the table, so it’s a fun, easy dinner. You can also serve it over rice or noodles.

Your 25 minute game plan

What goes into this pork mince recipe

• Pork mince: about 10 to 15% fat browns best and stays juicy. If yours is extra lean, add a little more oil.
• Onion, garlic and ginger: the savoury base.
• Crunchy veg: carrot, celery or water chestnuts, and mushrooms give that classic san choy bow texture.
• The glaze: low-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil and a little sriracha. A teaspoon of cornflour helps it cling.
• Lettuce: iceberg is classic. Cos is sturdier and easier to hold. Dry the leaves well so they stay crisp.

Pork Mince Recipe

Recipe by Ella McKenzie

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: DinnerCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

460

kcal

Total time

25

minutes

Browned pork mince tossed with ginger, garlic, crunchy veg and a honey glaze, then spooned into crisp lettuce cups with herbs and lime. Ready in about 25 minutes.

Ingredients

• For the mince

• 1 tbsp neutral oil (canola or peanut)

• 500 g Australian Pork mince

• 1 small brown onion, finely diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 small carrot, finely diced (about ½ cup)

• 1 celery stalk or ½ cup finely diced water chestnuts

• 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (button or Swiss brown)

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced (white and green separated)

• For the glaze

• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or hoisin for sweeter)

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil

• ½–1 tsp sriracha or chilli flakes (to taste)

• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water

• To serve

• 1 large iceberg or 2 small cos lettuces, leaves separated and well dried

• Lime wedges

• Coriander and/or mint leaves

• Toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts (optional)

• Steamed jasmine rice or rice noodles (optional bowls)

Directions

• Make the glaze. In a small jug, whisk soy, oyster, honey, vinegar, sesame oil and sriracha. Stir in cornflour slurry; set aside.
• Sear the mince. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pork mince and spread it out. Leave for 1 minute to brown, then break it up. Cook 4–5 minutes until most moisture cooks off and you see golden edges. Season lightly with pepper.
• Cook aromatics. Push mince to the edges. Add a touch more oil if pan looks dry. Fry onion for 2 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add veg. Stir in carrot, celery/water chestnuts and mushrooms. Cook 2–3 minutes until softened but still a little crunchy.
• Glaze. Pour in the sauce. Toss for 30–60 seconds as it bubbles and thickens, coating everything in a shiny glaze. If it looks too thick, splash in 2–3 tbsp water. Stir through the white parts of spring onion.
• Serve. Pile mince into lettuce cups, scatter green spring onion and herbs, add sesame or peanuts if you like, and squeeze lime over the top. Eat immediately while crisp.

Notes

• Noodle bowls: serve over warm rice noodles with shredded lettuce, cucumber and extra lime.
• Fried rice: stir leftovers through day-old rice with peas and a beaten egg.
• Thai basil: use Thai basil instead of coriander and fish sauce instead of oyster sauce, with extra chilli.
• Gochujang: swap the sriracha for 1 tablespoon gochujang and add 1 teaspoon brown sugar.
• More veg: double the mushrooms and carrot, and add finely chopped zucchini.
• Gluten free: use tamari and a gluten free oyster-style sauce.
• Make ahead: chop the veg and mix the glaze up to 2 days ahead. Cook just before serving.

Serve it 3 ways

1. Lettuce cups: the classic. Add herbs, lime, sesame seeds or crushed peanuts.
2. Rice bowl: over steamed jasmine rice with steamed greens.
3. Noodle bowl: over rice noodles with cucumber, chilli oil and extra lime.

For kids, keep the chilli out of the glaze and put chilli sauce on the table instead.

Pork mince troubleshooting

• Watery mince: the pan wasn’t hot enough. Cook a little longer to dry it out before adding the glaze.
• Dry and crumbly: the mince was very lean or overcooked. Add a teaspoon of oil at the start.
• Too sweet: use 2 teaspoons honey and an extra teaspoon of vinegar.
• Too salty: use low-sodium sauces and add a splash of water and lime.
• Soggy lettuce: the leaves weren’t dry. Pat them dry and keep them cold until serving.

Flavour swaps

Once you know the method (brown, aromatics, glaze), you can take it anywhere. Try taco night with cumin, smoked paprika and oregano in tortillas. Or a larb-style salad with fish sauce, lime and lots of herbs.

No oyster sauce? Use hoisin for a sweeter version, or 1 teaspoon fish sauce for savoury depth.

Make ahead and storage

Keep cooked mince in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, with the lettuce stored separately. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water and add a fresh squeeze of lime.

The mince freezes for up to 3 months. For lunchboxes, pack the warm mince in a thermos and the lettuce in a separate container.

Frequently asked questions

This pork mince recipe is quick, fresh and easy to change up. One pan, a few pantry sauces and dinner is on the table in 25 minutes.

Enjoy,
Ella x