Chard wraps are lighter and more tender than cabbage rolls, and they need very little time to cook. The earthy, slightly bitter taste of the chard complements the hot tanginess of the pork in this dish. For a little less heat, use only half the habanero pepper.
Preparing Chard for Wrapping
The large size and shape of mature chard leaves make them good to use as wraps. But they typically have thick, tough stems that need to be removed first.
Start by cutting off the long stems from the bottom of a leaf, then lay it on a work surface and run a knife along the edges of the stem two to three inches up from the bottom. If the rest of the stem is now pliable enough to roll, you’re finished. If there’s still a piece of stem thick enough to break, just cut out a little more.
Chard Wraps with Asian-Flavored Pork
(serves 4)
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb ground pork
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 habanero pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce, such as Sriracha
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 8 large chard leaves, thick stems removed, as noted above
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preparation
- Mix the first 10 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (You can also make the filling a day ahead and refrigerate overnight.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil.
- Add pork mixture and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 8-10 minutes.
- When most of the juices are absorbed, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Lay the chard leaves out on a work surface. Place about 3 tablespoons of the pork mixture on the top end of a leaf and roll up tightly, tucking in the sides as you go.
- If the leaf is split where the stem was removed, just fold the pieces over the wrap and keep rolling. Don’t worry about any small rips in the leaves—they’ll still hold together while cooking.
- Lay the wraps side by side in an 11 X 7-inch baking dish and pour chicken broth over them.
- Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes, until the chard softens and the pork is hot.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.
Pamela Steed Hill - Pamela Steed Hill is an editor, freelance writer, and home cook. She has published over 250 food articles and recipes online.
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