Thai Nam Tok Moo Pork Salad

Method

1. Rinse about 500g of sliced pork ribs, drain them well, then season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Toast 2 tablespoons of glutinous rice over medium low heat until golden brown and fragrant, then pound or grind it into a coarse powder.
3. Toast 5 to 6 dried chilies over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Chop 2 spring onions, rinse and drain 1 handful of mint, and peel and thinly slice about 60g of shallots.
5. Heat a cast iron pan and sear the pork for about 5 minutes per side, so the outside crisps while the inside stays tender.
6. Rest the pork for 15 minutes before slicing it thin, which keeps the juices in the meat.
7. Toss the sliced pork with the shallots, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, the juice of 1 to 2 limes and 1/2 teaspoon of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend.
8. Add the spring onions, half the mint torn into pieces and the chopped toasted chilies, and toss until everything is coated.
9. Scatter over the roasted rice powder and the remaining mint, adjust the seasoning, then serve with raw cabbage.

Tips

• Dress this salad portion by portion to keep it fresh; dressed ahead the greens wilt and the plate goes watery.
• Rice powder toasted at home and used straight away is far more fragrant than the packaged kind.
• Without the salty Thai fish sauce, use Vietnamese fish sauce and reduce the amount to taste.
• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend takes a moment to dissolve, so stir it into the fish sauce and lime juice before pouring it over the pork.
• Crush the toasted chilies by hand rather than grinding them, as coarse flakes hold their aroma longer.
• Sliced shallots soaked in ice water for 5 minutes and squeezed dry lose their sharpness but stay crisp.