Thai Ground Pork Cabbage Wraps

cardaisgourmet.com

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 bunch fresh mint

1/2 head green cabbage

2 small shallots, or 1/2 onion

10 ounces lean ground pork

3 to 4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 to 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Chop enough cilantro and mint leaves to measure 2 tablespoons each. Discard tough stems from remaining cilantro and mint and arrange sprigs on a platter. Cut cabbage lengthwise into 4 wedges and cut out core. Arrange wedges on platter. Thinly slice shallots lengthwise. In a small saucepan with a fork stir together pork and 2 tablespoons lime juice and cover with cold salted water. Bring pork to a simmer, stirring with fork to break up meat, and gently simmer until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. In a sieve drain pork well and in a bowl toss with shallots/onions, chopped herbs, bread crumbs, fish sauce, cayenne, and remaining lime juice to taste. Transfer pork salad to a serving bowl and put on platter. Have guests serve themselves: Arrange sprigs of cilantro and mint on pieces of cabbage and spoon some pork salad on top. Close cabbage around mixture to eat.  Adapted from Gourmet, June 1999.