Name: Sticky pork, watermelon pickle and herb salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 3 red shallots, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1-2 small red chillies, finely chopped; 500 gm minced lean pork; 60 ml (¼ cup) each kecap manis and soy sauce; 2 tsp brown sugar; 2 tsp rice vinegar; 1½ cups each (loosely packed) Vietnamese mint, coriander sprigs and Thai basil; 1 green onion, thinly sliced diagonally, placed in cold water; Watermelon pickle; 300 gm seedless watermelon, diced; 60 ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar; 60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce; 40 gm palm sugar; 2 red shallots, thinly sliced; 60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice

Sticky pork, watermelon pickle and herb salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for sticky pork, watermelon pickle and herb salad.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

15M

Total

30M

Serve this refreshing salad with steamed rice for a more substantial meal.

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 red shallots, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1-2 small red chillies, finely chopped

500 gm minced lean pork

60 ml (¼ cup) each kecap manis and soy sauce

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp rice vinegar

1½ cups each (loosely packed) Vietnamese mint, coriander sprigs and Thai basil

1 green onion, thinly sliced diagonally, placed in cold water

Watermelon pickle

300 gm seedless watermelon, diced

60 ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar

60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce

40 gm palm sugar

2 red shallots, thinly sliced

60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice

Method

Main

1.For watermelon pickle, place half the watermelon in a heatproof bowl. Combine rice vinegar, fish sauce, palm sugar and shallot in a saucepan, season to taste with freshly ground white pepper and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, remove from heat, pour over watermelon in bowl and stand for 5 minutes. Remove watermelon from pickling liquid with a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Add lime juice to pickling liquid and set aside separately in refrigerator.

2.Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add shallot, garlic and chilli and stir frequently until shallot is golden and starting to crisp (2-3 minutes). Add pork and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up clumps until brown (3-5 minutes). Add kecap manis, soy sauce and sugar and cook until sticky and sauce is reduced to a glaze (1-2 minutes). Season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground white pepper and rice vinegar, then scatter over a large serving plate.

3.Combine herbs, drained green onion, reserved watermelon pickle and remaining watermelon in a bowl. Drizzle with a little pickling liquid, toss lightly to combine, scatter over pork and serve immediately.

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Mia Asker