NAM (CRUMBLED FRIED RICE BALLS)

3-4 cups uncooked rice
1 lb. ground pork
1 cup fresh coconut flakes
2-3 eggs
2-3 tbs. paprika
1-2 pkg. sóm or sliced pork skins
1-2 limes or lemons
½ bunch cilantro
2-3 stems green onions
10 lime leaves, thinly sliced
1 cup roasted peanuts
dried whole red peppers
salt and pepper
msg and fish sauce

ACCOMPANIMENT:
mint
cilantro
small leaf basil (pak pail)
lettuce
fried dried chili peppers

Cook the rice in a rice cooker. Let cool in a large bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the pork, cooked rice, coconut flakes and eggs with MSG, paprika, salt and pepper according to taste. Form the combined ingredients into a ball and deep fry. Set fried rice balls aside to cool. D & R suggested baking it for a healthier version.

Meanwhile, chop up the cilantro and green onions. Break up the sóm in a very large bowl and squeeze a good amount of lime juice on top. Cooked sliced pork skins can be substituted for the sóm. Break up the fried rice balls into the same bowl. Add the cilantro, green onions, thinly sliced lime leaves and fish sauce. Toss all of the ingredients in the bowl together. Add more fish sauce or salt and lime juice if needed. Add the roasted peanuts and toss.

Panfry the dry red peppers until just crisp (takes only a few seconds... observe closely because it can burn quickly). Serve rice crumble mixture wrapped in lettuce with pieces of the fried peppers, mint, cilantro, small leaf basil, and any other Asian herbs wanted.