Thai Pork Larb (Larb Moo | ลาบหมู)
I love a fresh, zingy larb. It's light and refreshing for summer and a great quick weeknight dish that doubles as a packed lunch.
Servings: 3
Ingredients
for the dry roasted rice
- 100 gm glutinous rice
- 5 slices galangal
- 1 lemongrass stalk white part only, thinly sliced
for the larb
- 2 tbsp canola or other neutral oil
- 400 gm minced pork
- 60 ml chicken stock or ¼ cup
- 1 small red chilli finely diced, plus extra to serve
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup coriander leaves and chopped stalks plus extra to serve
- ¼ cup mint roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
- ¼ cup finely sliced sawtooth coriander optional - if you can get it from an Asian grocer
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp palm sugar substitute brown or white sugar
- 60 ml lime juice -approx 2-3 limes, plus extra wedges, to serve or ¼ cup
to serve
- wedges of white cabbage/cos lettuce
- sliced cucumbers
- red chilli
- white or sticky rice to serve
Instructions
for the dry roasted rice
- Dry roast glutinous rice, galangal and lemongrass in a frying pan, constantly stirring over low heat until evenly pale golden in colour and fragrant. (You can also do this in an oven on 150C). Pound in a mortar and pestle, or blender and grind. This recipe makes more than you need but I store the rest in an airtight container for a few weeks - it's best used while still fragrant.
- Slice wedges of white cabbage (cut through to the base stem so that the leaves stay together as much as possible), wash and place in cold water. Put the bowl in the fridge to maximise crispness while you prepare the other ingredients.
for the larb
- In a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, bring the chicken stock to a low boil, add the minced chicken, then with a large metal spoon, work quickly to toss the chicken so it cooks evenly (3-4 minutes). Once chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, remove from heat – don't let it overcook or the meat will be tough rather than springy and yielding.
- Transfer meat to a large bowl, and while still warm add 1 tbsp of the ground glutinous rice mixture.
- Prepare all the aromatics - cut the red chilli, onion, spring onion, coriander leaves, mint, sawtooth coriander (if using) and place on top of the cooked pork mince.
- Combine the fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice, then toss over the meat and herb mix until the ingredients are distributed evenly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as required; it should taste sour, slightly spicy (add more crushed red chilli if required) and salty. Remember to make everything just a little over the top - a bit more spicy, salty and tangy than you're used to if serving with rice as mixing with rice will mute the big flavours.
to serve
- Serve with cabbage, cucumber, extra herbs, lime wedges and rice.