Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps with Lime-Basil Pesto and Pickled Shallots

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps with Lime-Basil Pesto and Pickled Shallots is a light and refreshing no-fuss family meal. The pork is unctuous wrapped in butter lettuce. Top it with the fresh pesto, and add a few acidic bites of pickled shallot for the perfect well-rounded bite. Add some homemade or store bought tortillas, cheese, and rice to the table and it becomes a bigger meal you can serve to a large crowd.

Featured Ingredients

Lettuces contain several incredibly unique, health-promoting compounds not found in other vegetables. These include a special carotenoid called lactucaxanthin, which demonstrates anti-diabetic activity, as well as the compounds lactucin and lactucopicrin, which have potent pain-reducing properties and gentle sleep-inducing effects.

The numerous health benefits attributed to basil are credited to the diverse array of phytonutrients and volatile oils found within it. Some of the health benefits associated with different varieties of basil include a role in maintaining dental health, benefits to cardiovascular health, antidepressant-like effects, and anti-cancer effects to name a few.

Olive oil is consistently linked with health benefits, including reducing cardiovascular disease risk (both heart disease and stroke), Alzheimer’s risk, and cancer risk, improving blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity, reducing likelihood of weight gain (and maybe even aid in weight loss), reducing joint pain and swelling in rheumatoid arthritis, and generally reduce markers of inflammation.

Green Leaf Lettuce Nutrients

Basil Nutrients

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Nutrients

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps with Lime-Basil Pesto and Pickled Shallots

Nutrivore Score: 283

Calories

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

For the Pickled Shallots

• 2 cups shallots sliced thin
• 3/4 cups apple cider vinegar or favorite
• 2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• water

For the Pulled Pork Wraps

• 1 tablespoon oregano dried
• 1 tablespoon garlic granulated
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 7 pounds pork shoulder
• 2 heads butter lettuce

For the Lime-Basil Pesto

• 4 cloves garlic large (do not peel)
• 2 cups lime-basil (see note below)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 7 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the Pickled Shallots

• Slice shallots into half moons, as thinly as you have patience for.  Place in a pint size mason jar.
• Mix vinegar and lime juice. Add salt and stir to dissolve.
• Pour over shallots. Top up the jar with water. Place the lid on jar and shake well.
• Leave on counter top for at least 8 hours, 24 is better. Refrigerate for long-term storage.

For the Pulled Pork Wraps

• Preheat oven to 250F.
• Combine all oregano, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder in a small dish. Rub all over entire surface of pork shoulder.
• Place on a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for 8 – 10 hours.
• Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Slice or pull. To pull, place pork shoulder in a large casserole dish. Use two sturdy forks to pull the meet apart into strands, by pulling each fork in opposite directions.
• While pork is resting, tear individual lettuce leaves from the head, wash, and run through salad spinner or air dry on a towel.

For the Lime-Basil Pesto

• Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic still in the peel to the pan. Stir or shake the pan frequently so the garlic rotates and cooks on all sides. Cook until garlic is starting to brown and is feeling fairly soft to touch, about 7-8 minutes.
• Remove the garlic from the pan and add the pine nuts. Again, stir or shake the pan frequently so the pine nuts toast on all sides. Cook until starting to brown and become fragrant, about 5-6 minutes.
• Remove the pine nuts from the pan and let cool. Peel the now cooled garlic. Place in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients. Pulse until it’s a paste.

Notes

Lime-basil tastes much like it’s name implies, a lime-infused version of basil! Lemon basil is also very similar. Don’t worry if you can’t find either of these basil varieties though, holy basil, Thai basil or regular sweet basil will all work just fine. You can also mix it up and use different varieties of mint, or peppery greens like arugula. They all seem to work with this dish!