Grilled pork and herb salad

Putting a Vietnamese twist on the classic Aussie pork chop dinner with plenty of fresh leafy herbs and cucumber, with a lime and chilli dressing for tang and a nice kick.

Vietnamese salads are known for their umami and tangy flavours, like this grilled pork and herb salad. Credit: Danielle Abou Karam

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 pork chop, about 200 g, untrimmed
• 30 ml melted coconut oil
• salt, to season
• 1 tbsp kecap manis
• 100 g glutinous rice
• small handful round mint leaves
• small handful Vietnamese mint leaves
• small handful coriander leaves
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red Asian shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 short cucumber, cut into thin wedges, to serve

Dressing

• 50 ml lime juice
• ½ tsp Thai chilli powder
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 red birds eye chilli, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Remove the rind from the pork chop and reserve. Brush the pork chop all over with coconut oil and season with salt. Heat a heavy–based frying pan over high heat. Add the pork chop and rind. Cook the pork rind until golden and crisp and the chop for 3 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked to your liking. Remove from the heat, brush the chop with kecap manis and set aside to rest.
2. Meanwhile, place the glutinous rice in a sieve and run briefly under cold water. Drain, then place in a heavy–based frying pan over medium–high heat. Wetting the rice helps cook the rice through while it’s drying. Stir the rice until it smells nutty and is toasted and caramelised. Remove from the heat, stand until cool, then pound to a powder in a mortar and pestle. This will make more than you need for this recipe, but you can make it in advance and store in an airtight container.
3. For the dressing, place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
4. To serve, slice the pork into thin strips, reserving any resting juices. Coarsely chop the crisp rind. Place the herbs, spring onion, shallot, sliced pork, reserved juices, dressing and 2 teaspoons of roasted rice in a bowl. Toss to combine, then transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the chopped rind and remaining roasted rice powder. Serve immediately with the cucumber on the side.
   
   

 

Photography by Danielle Abou Karam.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.