Savory Shrimp and Pork Crepes

Bánh xèo, or savory Vietnamese pork crepes, are made with a twist, using whole-grain brown rice flour and light beer, less oil and pork loin instead of pork belly. This recipe is part of the 2018 Food & Nutrition cultural competency series, My Global Table.

SERVINGS: 6
SERVING SIZE: 1 crepe (230 grams)
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
COOKING TIME: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Crepes

• 10 ounces pork loin
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1¾ cups brown rice flour
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2¼ cups (530 milliliters) water
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) light beer
• Cooking spray
• ½ cup chopped green onions or scallions
• 18 ounces small cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Dipping Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) less-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) toasted sesame oil
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) water
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) Sriracha sauce

Toppings

• 12 bibb lettuce leaves
• ½ cup pickled daikon, sliced
• ½ cup carrots, peeled and julienned

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
2. Season both sides of pork loin with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Place in an oven-safe baking dish or on a cookie sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F.
3. Allow to rest at least 3 minutes. Thinly slice and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, stir together flour, turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt.
5. Stir in water and beer. Let batter rest for about 30 minutes.
6. Coat a small nonstick pan with cooking spray. Place on stovetop over medium-high heat.
7. Add green onions to batter and stir.
8. Ladle ⅓ cup batter into the pan and swirl it around in a circular motion to coat the pan in a thin layer.
9. Place 2 to 3 shrimp and 1 to 2 pork slices on one side of the crepe, then sprinkle a few bean sprouts on top. Cover the pan and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Uncover and use a flexible spatula to gently loosen the crepe around the edge of the pan. Use the spatula to fold the crepe in half. Remove from pan and place on a plate.
11. Repeat with remaining batter, shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, making sure to spray the pan before each crepe.
12. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, agave, sesame oil, water, garlic, rice vinegar and Sriracha sauce.
13. Serve each crepe wrapped in bibb lettuce with daikon and carrots and a side of sesame soy dipping sauce.

Cooking note: Find pickled daikon at natural food stores or an Asian grocer. Finely chopped fresh radishes may be substituted. To make brown rice flour, blend 1¾ cup uncooked brown rice in a grain mill or high-powered blender. For a more traditional dipping sauce, use fish sauce instead of soy sauce.

Nutrition per serving: 472 calories, 9g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 168mg cholesterol, 818mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 6g sugar, 35g protein, N/A potassium, N/A phosphorus

Vicki Shanta Retelny

Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN, is a lifestyle nutrition expert, author, speaker, recipe and content creator based in Chicago. She blogs at SimpleCravingsRealFood.com. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.