Thai NAM SOD Rice Ball Salad

Nam Sod is a ground pork or chicken salad seasoned with a flavorful dressing. It's super tasty and light. I created a rice ball with Nam Sod filling and served it over shredded cabbage, I then drizzled a sauce made of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, scallion, basil and sesame oil. It doesn't get better than this!

DRESSING

• 1 Clove grated garlic
• 1.5 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or less if too tangy)
• 1 Tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tsp fish sauce (optional but authentic)
• 1 Scallion chopped
• Fresh cilantro chopped
• Fresh basil chopped
• 1 Tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts (optional)

FILLING:

• 1 lb. Ground pork or chicken
• 1 Clove garlic minced
• 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 Red onion finely chopped
• 1/2 Carrot shredded and chopped
• 1/4 Bunch cilantro chopped

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Cups cooked rice
• 1 bag shredded cabbage (like Cole slaw mix)
• Extra chopped basil

Prepare 4 cups cooked rice and set aside to cool. You'll want to overcook the rice a little so it is sticky enough to form into balls. Sushi rice works best.

Make the dressing first. Combine the ingredients and set aside.

Add the ground meat into a non-stick pan with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil and 1 minced clove of garlic, red onion and shredded carrot. Cook the meat over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess fat and allow the meat to cool.

Transfer the cooled meat to a food processor and pulse in short intervals until it looks like a filling. It will be a little pasty but not pulverized. Add 1/3 of the prepared dressing, and stir to combine. 

Now it's time to form the rice balls. Using an ice cream scoop with a trigger release, press a little rice into the scoop, then add some filling and top with rice. Press until tight and trigger release the rice ball into your hand and shape into a perfect round. Continue the process to complete as many rice balls as you can make based on your ingredients. I usually end up with about a dozen. You can store any leftover filling in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Serve the rice balls over the salad that has been tossed with the remaining dressing. I use 1 bag of prepared shredded Cole slaw mix.