Pork and Crispy Rice Salad

A white enamel bowl filled with salad and ground pork.

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5 from 4 votes

Warm, caramelized pork tossed with crispy rice, cucumber, cilantro, mint and a zippy fish sauce and lime vinaigrette.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Calories: 1008kcal

Author: Leigh Anderson

Ingredients

Salad

1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 small red onion or shallot thinly sliced
2 small persian cucumbers thinly sliced
2 heaping cups fresh mint, cilantro and/or basil roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (optional) roughly chopped

Crispy Rice

1 cup uncooked, long grain rice jasmine or basmati
3 tbsp neutral oil grapeseed or avocado

Dressing:

1 clove garlic grated
1/2 tsp minced green chili Thai, Serrano or Jalapeño
4 tbsp lime juice about 2 juicy limes
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve until water runs clear then transfer to a medium saucepan; add a pinch of salt and 1 1/4 cups water. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook, undisturbed, 12 minutes then turn off the heat and let stand (with the lid on) for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid, and fluff rice with a fork. While the rice is cooking get started on the pork...
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil to the pan, just enough to lightly coat the surface, then add the pork and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon.
While the pork is cooking, make the dressing... Add all of the dressing ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and give it a good shake. Set aside.
Once the pork is fully cooked remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pour the sliced red onion and dressing over top to marinate while you crisp up the rice.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, then add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the same pan used to cooked the pork. Next, add in the rice. Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, press the rice evenly across the bottom of the pan. Let cook, undisturbed, until the rice begins to turn golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
Transfer the crispy rice to the bowl with the pork, onion and dressing. Add in the rest of the salad ingredients and toss to coat. Divide between bowls and serve right away!

Notes

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

Rice: Long grain rice like jasmine or basmati is ideal, though any rice will work really. If you plan to substitute brown rice be sure to cook it according to the directions on the package. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover rice from the previous night's take out. You will need about two cups of cooked rice.
Ground Pork: A simple ground pork sausage (like a mild Italian) will also work for this recipe. Ground chicken or turkey will also work just fine but will be more lean, you make need to up the oil a bit to compensate.
Fresh Herbs: Fresh mint, cilantro and basil are all great in this salad. You can use all three if you have them on hand or just 1-2.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers:

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Nutrition