HAM ROLLS WITH SPICY PINEAPPLE SAUCE

Ham Rolls with Spicy Pineapple Sauce image

Summer rolls are such a great appetizer because they're so satisfyingly chewy and flavorful but they're not so heavy that they'll ruin your meal. These pack an extra little surprise in the center-canned ham, a salty wonder.

Provided by Molly Yeh

Time 1h10m

Yield 10 rolls, 20 pieces

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1/2 pineapple, cored and cut into chunks
1 Thai bird chile, stemmed
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
One 12-ounce can cooked ham, such as Spam
3 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
One 12-ounce package rice paper wrappers
Butter lettuce, sliced red cabbage, fresh cilantro leaves and fresh mint leaves, for filling

Steps:

For the spicy pineapple sauce: Add the pineapple chunks, Thai bird chile, garlic, lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and ginger to a blender. Blend until combined. Transfer the mixture to a pot. Heat the mixture over medium heat. Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and mix until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add to the hot pineapple mixture and stir to combine. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
For the ham rolls: Cut the ham into 10 slices, then cut each slice into 4 matchsticks. Add the ham to a nonstick pan over medium heat and fry until golden brown. Set aside and let cool.
Cook the vermicelli rice noodles according to the package. Rinse with cold water. Toss with 1/4 cup pineapple sauce. Set aside.
Line a plate with a damp paper towel or parchment paper. Wet a few paper towel sheets and wring out the water. Have them standing by to cover your finished rolls. Fill a large shallow bowl with warm water. Dunk one rice wrapper in the shallow bowl of water for about 5 seconds to soften. Move to your work surface. Add 1 leaf of butter lettuce, torn in half, in the center, and top with 4 pieces of the ham, a small pile of the vermicelli noodles, red cabbage, cilantro leaves and mint leaves. Gently pull the bottom of the wrapper and roll over the filling, using your hands to tuck the filling in as you roll. Fold in each side and continue to roll tightly. Add the roll to your damp paper towel-lined plate. Cover the roll with a damp paper towel. Continue rolling until you have 10 rolls, covering with damp paper towels and keeping them separated (if the rolls touch, the wrappers will tear).
To serve, cut each roll in half on an angle and serve with the spicy pineapple sauce.