500 g (1 lb) ground pork
½ cup (125 mL) peanut sauce
½ package rice vermicelli
8 rice wrappers (6.5 inch diameter)
2 carrots (grated)
2 cups (500 mL) shredded lettuce or purple cabbage
¼ cup (60 mL) fresh cilantro or basil
Hoisin, peanut, sweet chili and/or fish sauce, for dipping
In a medium skillet, pan-fry ground pork until thoroughly cooked. Drain excess fat. Add peanut sauce, stir, and let cool.
Place rice vermicelli in a bowl of boiling water and let soak 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
Fill a shallow pan with hot water. Dip one rice wrapper in the hot water for 5 seconds, or until rice wrapper starts becoming flexible. (Don't worry if the wrapper isn't completely soft - it gets softer as you roll it.) Remove and lay wrapper flat on a cutting board or plate.
Add desired amount of vermicelli noodles, pork, vegetables and herbs in a strip just a bit lower than the centre of the wrapper.
Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper tightly over the ingredients, then fold in the sides of the wrapper. Then, tightly roll the ingredients from the bottom up.
Repeat steps 3-5 with the remaining ingredients. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Yield: 8 salad rolls