Thai Pork Salad

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

½ cup Jasmine rice

500g pieces of pork neck, brought to room temperature and split in half lengthways

1 tsp of peanut oil

200g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1 x Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways & thinly sliced diagonally

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 long fresh red chillies, halved, deseeded & thinly sliced lengthways

1 bunch mint, leaves picked

1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked and 2 of the stalks and roots reserved

1/2 bunch fresh Thai basil, leaves picked

1/3 cup toasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Salt

Dressing

1 kaffir lime leaf, centre vein removed and finely shredded

1cm knob of ginger, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp. grated palm sugar

1 lime, juice

60ml fish sauce

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Place the uncooked rice into a medium pan and toast, tossing regularly until golden brown. Tip into a mortar and pestle and grind into a course crumb. Remove from mortar and pestle and reserve for later.

For the dressing place the kaffir leaf, chopped coriander roots, garlic and ginger into the mortar and pestle and pound until a rough paste forms. Add the palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and combine well. Check seasoning to ensure it is balanced.

Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan on high. Drizzle oil over pork and season with salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning regularly. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further 15-20 minutes.

Place the tomato, cucumber, onion, chilli and herbs into a large bowl. Slice the pork thinly and add to salad. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to combine. Garnish with toasted peanuts and rice and serve immediately.