Thai-Style Toasted Rice Pork Larb with Lemongrass-Scented Jasmine Rice and Crisp Bell Pepper Salad

Place 1.25 cups of the raw jasmine rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Set the remaining 0.25 cup of rice aside for the toasted powder.

Prepare the 2 stalks of lemongrass by removing the tough outer layers. Cut off the bottom inch and the woody green tops. Use the back of a knife to smash the pale inner stalks to release their oils.

In a medium pot, combine the 1.25 cups of rinsed rice, 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt, and the smashed lemongrass stalks. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 18 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes before removing the lemongrass stalks and fluffing with a fork.

While the rice cooks, prepare the 'Khao Khua' (toasted rice powder). Place the remaining 0.25 cup of raw jasmine rice in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the rice, shaking the pan constantly, for 8-10 minutes until it turns a deep nutty golden brown and smells fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind into a coarse, sandy powder.

Wash and prep the vegetables: thinly slice the 1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper into long strips. Peel and thinly slice the 3 shallots into rings. Finely mince the 3 garlic cloves and the 1-inch piece of ginger. Thinly slice the 4 scallions. Roughly chop the 1 cup of mint and 1 cup of cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together the juice from 3 of the limes (approx. 1/3 cup), 4 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp brown sugar, and the 4 dried Thai chilies (crushed or finely minced). Ensure the sugar is fully dissolved.

Heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger, sautéing for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the 1.5 lbs of ground pork, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the pork is just cooked through and no longer pink, but not excessively browned.

Remove the skillet with the pork from the heat. This is critical to keep the herbs fresh. Stir in the sliced shallots, scallions, half of the chopped mint, and half of the chopped cilantro.

Pour the lime and fish sauce dressing over the pork mixture. Add 3 tbsp of the prepared toasted rice powder and toss thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust with more lime or fish sauce if a sharper balance is desired.

In a separate bowl, toss the sliced bell peppers with the remaining mint, cilantro, and the juice from the final lime. Season with a pinch of salt.

To serve, scoop a portion of the lemongrass-scented rice onto plates. Top generously with the pork larb and serve the crisp bell pepper salad on the side. Sprinkle any remaining toasted rice powder over the top for extra crunch.