Make the quick pickled veg. Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and sesame oil for the pickles and toss with the cucumbers, carrot, and shallot. Let them sit while pork cooks.

Make the tamarind sauce for the pork. To make the tamarind sauce, first whisk together tamarind paste, palm or granulated sugar, lime juice and zest, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, and grated ginger until combined. In a separate bowl or cup, whisk together the cornstarch and water until it’s fully combined into a slurry. Add the slurry to the rest of the tamarind sauce you just mixed up.

Cook the ground pork. Cook the ground pork in a pan over medium heat until it’s almost done, about 8-10 minutes.

Mix the tamarind sauce with the pork. Pour the tamarind sauce over the pork, then cook it for about 2 to 3 more minutes, or until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.

Assemble the bowls. Add some cooked rice to a bowl, then top with some of the seasoned pork, quick pickles, crushed peanuts, herbs, green onions, and extra lime wedges, if desired.

A note on tamarind pulp vs. tamarind paste: This recipe calls for tamarind paste, which is usually in a liquid or puree form, often packaged in a jar. If you can’t find that or only have tamarind pulp (usually in a solid block form), you’ll need to combine the pulp with a little water first (you’ll usually find instructions on the package) so that it forms a paste, then strain out any seeds before adding it to the tamarind sauce.

If tamarind is new to you, start with 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste, taste the sauce, and add more, if needed. Keep in mind the flavor will mellow once it cooks with the pork.