Thai Curry Pork Lettuce Wraps (Nam Prik Ong)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white rice
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste (such as Mae Ploy)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water (optional)
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 12 leaves lettuce

Directions

Toast the rice in a skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Transfer the rice to a mortar and pestle or a food processor and grind into a coarse powder.

Cook pork in a skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Place the onions in the skillet with the pork and continue to cook and stir until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook until aromatic. Mix in the tomato paste and reduce the heat to a simmer. Pour in 1/4 cup water if the pork seems dry and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the roasted, ground rice and continue to simmer until the ground rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Serve pork in lettuce leaves.