Salad Rolls with Lemongrass & Shiitake Mushroom Ground Pork

Bright and tangy Vietnamese style ground pork redolent with the scent of spice and citrus, delicious as burgers or as the filling for rice paper appetizer rolls. Served with avocado and quick pickled carrots and red onions. No dipping sauce required.

Here is an excellent step by step on wrapping with rice paper.

Smaller is definitely easier, less filling flopping around. If serving as a passed appetizer I would cut the wraps in half for bite sized portions (plus rice paper can have a bit of tooth to it making for awkward cocktail party bites and scattered pickled carrots.

For the burgers I stuffed the avocado on the inside. This is an optional step. Avocado tastes equally delicious in or out and, I don’t know if I spoil them or what, but neither the Mr. or Dad seemed that impressed that I’d taken the time to put the avocado on the inside. So much for wow factor. There was the usual this is delicious, that smells wonderful, blah de blah but no one seemed to care that the avocado was on the inside. And by no one I mean the Mr. because Dad and effusive do not go together.

makes approximately 45 small spring rolls (or 6 burgers- but I will leave the burger making up to you and only give instructions for the appetizer, but I recommend the burgers for a relatively easy week night meal.)

Ingredients

for the pork

• 1 ½ pound ground pork
• 1 cup reconstituted and finely chopped dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass (I buy it pre-cut and frozen from the Vietnamese market)
• 1 scallion chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp thai sweet chili sauce

for the pickled veggies

• 1 medium carrot julienned
• ½ red onion thinly sliced
• ½ tsp red chili flakes
• ½ tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup water

the rest

• 1 or two avocados (maybe three if they are tiny or you are generous with your avocado)
• cilantro and/or mint
• rice paper for wrapping ( I used the triangular pieces) or buns for burgers

 Assembly

Combine the pork, mushrooms, lemongrass, scallion, chopped red onion, egg, 2 tsp fish sauce, ground ginger, and thai sweet chili sauce together and stir or mix with your hands until thoroughly combined (may be done a day ahead)

In a small bowl combine the julienned carrots and onions along with their seasoning. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Form the pork into patties approximately 1x1x4 and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Slice avocado into approximately 15 pieces per half .

Wet the rice paper either under the faucet or in a prepared pan and place on a plate or cutting board. Add one pork ‘patty’, avocado, and some of the pickled veggies. Wrap ‘er up as pictured or as per the instructions in the link above.

Serve whole or sliced in half for passed appetizers. As soon after assembling as possible. Rolls can stick together and rice paper can get stiff after more than an hour or so.

Lemongrass & Shiitake Mushroom Ground Pork

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Ingredients

  

• for the pork
• • 1 ½ pound ground pork
• • 1 cup reconstituted and finely chopped dried shiitake mushrooms
• • 2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass I buy it pre-cut and frozen from the Vietnamese market
• • 1 scallion chopped
• • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• • 1 egg
• • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• • ½ tsp ground ginger
• • 2 tsp thai sweet chili sauce
• for the pickled veggies
• • 1 medium carrot julienned
• • ½ red onion thinly sliced
• • ½ tsp red chili flakes
• • ½ tsp lime juice
• • 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• • ¼ cup rice vinegar
• • ¼ cup water
• the rest
• • 1 or two avocados maybe three if they are tiny or you are generous with your avocado
• • cilantro and/or mint
• • rice paper for wrapping I used the triangular pieces or buns for burgers

Instructions

 

• Combine the pork, mushrooms, lemongrass, scallion, chopped red onion, egg, 2 tsp fish sauce, ground ginger, and thai sweet chili sauce together and stir or mix with your hands until thoroughly combined (may be done a day ahead)
• In a small bowl combine the julienned carrots and onions along with their seasoning. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form the pork into patties approximately 1x1x4 and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• Slice avocado into approximately 15 pieces per half .
• Wet the rice paper either under the faucet or in a prepared pan and place on a plate or cutting board. Add one pork ‘patty’, avocado, and some of the pickled veggies. Wrap ‘er up as pictured or as per the instructions in the link above.
• Serve whole or sliced in half for passed appetizers. As soon after assembling as possible. Rolls can stick together and rice paper can get stiff after more than an hour or so.

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