Thai Larb shines alongside peppery sauvignon blanc

Our Wine of the Week, Edna Valley 2019 California Sauvignon Blanc ($15), is bright, refreshing, dry and intense. You’ll notice hints of white grapefruit, Eureka lemon, wet concrete and river rocks along with a delightful crispness. It also includes just a hint of jalapeño — not its heat but the delicious green flavor of the flesh itself, without the fiery membrane, which contains most of the heat.

The wine is beautifully balanced, with a pretty sophistication. The price makes it even more attractive.

If you happen to have fresh flounder around, poach it in a broth of fish fumet, lemon juice, minced jalapeño, cilantro and garlic, and you’ll have a stellar match. Clams steamed in a broth of lemon, lemon verbena, garlic and parsley are a delicious pairing, too.

You’ll enjoy this bright quaffer as an afternoon aperitif, with whipped feta drizzled with good olive oil, green olives and tangy salumi, such as soppressata, alongside.

Avocado soup, yogurt gazpacho, avocado and zucchini pizza with olive oil in place of pizza sauce and clams vongole are excellent matches, too.

For today’s recipe, I’ve taken inspiration from a favorite Thai dish, larb, which is sometimes called laab. There are many versions of this ground meat salad, some with duck or chicken, others with squid, and some with beef. For a perfect match, I suggest pork. This dish highlights the wine’s jalapeño notes and encourages them to blossom.

The galangal and ground roasted rice are available at Asian markets.

Thai Larb (Thai-style Pork in Romaine Leaves)

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course

1 head Romaine lettuce, rinsed, large outer leaves and smallest inner leaves reserved for another purpose

1 tablespoon peanut oil or mild olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 pound ground pork

Scant ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Zest of 2 limes

2 teaspoons toasted and ground dried galangal

2 tablespoons ground toasted rice

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fish sauce

¼ cup fresh spearmint leaves, cut into thin julienne

⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons sugar

3 or 4 green onions, trimmed and very thinly sliced

1 small wedge of raw cabbage, cut into very thin slices

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Separate the lettuce leaves from the central stalk and cut them crosswise into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Set aside.

Heat the peanut or olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add the pork and cook, breaking it up with a fork, until it loses its raw look. Stir in the red pepper flakes, lime zest, galangal and toasted rice and remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the serrano, lime juice, fish sauce, half the mint, half the cilantro and the sugar. Drizzle half the sauce over the pork and toss quickly.

To serve, put the pork in a serving dish, set the dish on a platter and surround with the lettuce leaves. Scatter the green onions, cabbage and sesame seeds over the pork. Serve right away, with the remaining sauce alongside.

Guests can spoon some of the pork into a lettuce leaf, add a drizzle of sauce, roll up the leaf and eat it in a single bite.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts “Mouthful, Smart Talk About Food, Wine & Farming” on KRCB every Sunday from 6 to 7 p.m. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.