Marinated pork cutlets with green papaya salad

Name: Marinated pork cutlets with green papaya salad
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, finely chopped; 1-2 fresh red chillies, chopped; 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing; 2 pork cutlets

May 26, 2014

Taking the time to marinate the pork (or chicken or fish) is well worth the effort.William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:2

Marinating requires a little forward planning, but you'll be richly rewarded for the extra effort. Any meat, in particular chicken or some lovely white flaky fish, can be marinated instead of the pork cutlets and served with the salad.

Ingredients

2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, finely chopped
1-2 fresh red chillies, chopped
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing
2 pork cutlets

For papaya salad

1/2 green papaya, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 cup mint leaves
2 tbsp shallots, fried
2 tbsp whole cashew nuts, roasted
2 spring onions, julienned
100ml fish sauce
juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 fresh long red chillies, finely chopped

Method

Mix the lemongrass, chillies, rice wine, fish sauce and oil in a bowl to make a marinade.
Coat the pork cutlets in the marinade mixture, cover bowl with plastic film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Heat a chargrill to hot and brush with a little oil. Cook the cutlets for about 4 minutes on each side depending on thickness, but be careful not to overcook.
Remove from the grill and place on a plate. Cover with foil and a couple of tea towels and rest for 10 minutes.
While the pork is resting, make the salad by combining all the ingredients.
Slice the pork on a chopping board and arrange on a plate. Scatter the salad over the top of the meat and serve.

Photography by William Meppem. Food styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Nick Banbury