Overhead shot of Crispy Pork Rice Salad on a white dish garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.

Crispy Pork Rice Salad

This recipe was created by our friend Ashley Marti of @LocalHaven in partnership with USA Rice and TheFeedfeed.

  • Servings
    4
  • Prep Time
    25 min
  • Cook Time
    25 min
  • Total Time
    50 min

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked long grain rice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
  • 1 shallot, sliced into thin rings
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped

Garnishes

  • 1 small english cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 lime, sliced into wedges
  • 1 cup herb mix (cilantro, basil, and mint)

Lime fish sauce

  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Crispy caramelized pork

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons caramel sauce
  • 1 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

  • Combine rice, lime juice, and salt in a large serving bowl; set aside.

  • Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot rings and cook, until brown and crisped, about 5-7 minutes. Strain the shallots and let cool (and continue to crisp) onto a paper towel.

  • Return pan to medium-low heat and add peanuts. Cook, stirring, until peanuts turn a medium shade of brown and become fragrant, 5–8 minutes. Add peanuts, shallots and cilantro to rice and toss together.

  • Taste and add more salt and lime juice, if needed. Set aside

Lime Fish Sauce

  • In a small bowl, whisk together shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chile flakes, and scallions. Set aside.

Crispy Caramelized Pork

  • Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork, breaking it up into small pieces for 3-4 pieces until no longer pink. Add the fish sauce, caramel sauce and sugar, stirring to combine.

  • Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for another 5 minutes until deeply browned. Keep stirring and spreading out the pork to cover the bottom of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring to avoid burning.

  • Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the green onions.
    Using a slotted spoon, add the crispy caramelized pork to the cilantro peanut rice. Top with cucumbers, cilantro, mint and basil and serve with lime wedges and the lime fish sauce.