Thai Larb Food

THAI LARB RECIPE

Steps:

• Dice half the onion (you'll need 1 cup diced) and thinly slice 1/4 of the onion ( 1/4- 1/2 cup).
• Place the sliced onions in a bowl, cover with 1/2 cup hot boiling water and 2 tablespoons vinegar, place in the fridge.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced red onion, saute 3-4 minutes, add garlic, lemongrass and chili flakes. Saute until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the ground meat, breaking it apart with a metal spatula. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and continue cooking until all the liquid releases and evaporates about 10 minutes. Drain the fat from the meat, using a fine-mesh strainer.
• While the ground meat is cooking, prep the remaining ingredients. Place the cucumber, radish, scallions, mint, basil, cilantro, fresh chili (optional) in a bowl. Add the drained meat and the strained pickled onions. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste, adjust salt, lime and heat. I'll usually add more chili flakes. or finely diced fresh chilies.
• Serve with lettuce wraps and/or cooked rice. Serve warm or chilled. ( If chilling, make doubly sure to strain all the fat from the meat -it will harden in the fridge.)

THAI CHICKEN LARB

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook and stir until chicken is broken into little pieces, about 5 minutes. Add red onion and scallions. Continue to cook and break up the chicken until browned, about 2 minutes. Add cilantro, mint, ginger, lemon grass, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until flavors blend, about 3 minutes more. Season with sea salt.

THAI PORK LARB WRAP

Steps:

• Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Add the pork and stir until pork is fully cooked. Turn off the stove, then drain out and discard the juices.
• Add lime juice, fish sauce, rice powder, sugar and the powdered chili pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir and mix until the pork is evenly seasoned. Add the red and white onion, cilantro and green onion, lime leaf and lemongrass. Using the wooden spoon, stir and mix until everything is evenly proportioned. This is the "larb."
• Heat the tortilla in a hot pan until both sides are nice and soft. Lay out the tortilla on a cutting board, spread the mayonnaise on top and add "larb" right in the center of the tortilla. Wrap it up like a burrito. Serve, and you have yourself a nice, healthy lunch.

TURKEY LARB

Steps:

• Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce and honey. Set aside.
• Larb: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, lemongrass, chile, and salt, to taste. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat and vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the dressing to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mint. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Spoon the turkey mixture onto the lettuce leaves and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with sticky rice.

THAI LARB GAI (CHICKEN WITH LIME, CHILI AND FRESH HERBS)

Steps:

• To make roasted rice powder, heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Add raw rice and cook, stirring often, until rice is toasted and dark brown, but not black, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside to cool. Grind to a coarse powder in a mortar, blender or coffee grinder; set aside.
• To cook chicken, heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, add 2 tablespoons water, then add chicken, stirring constantly to break up any lumps. Cook just until cooked through, about two minutes, then transfer to mixing bowl. While chicken is just warm, add remaining ingredients (except for garnishes) and roasted rice powder. Mix gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Mixture should be tangy, salty and lightly spicy.
• Spoon onto serving plate and surround with mint, lettuce and cucumber. Serve with rice. If serving with sticky rice, pinch some off, mold into a small ball and dip into larb, scooping up a little of each ingredient. Or scoop larb into lettuce leaves.

LARB

Steps:

• Cook the ground meat until done and drain.
• Mix the meat with the lime juice, fish sauce, red onions, chili peppers (optional), roasted rice powder and mix well.
• Serve on bed of lettuce and top with sliced green onions and mint leaves.
• May add additional red peppers if you desire it hotter.
• Enjoy.

LAAB - THAI GROUND BEEF SALAD

Steps:

• Toast rice in a dry skillet (no oil) over medium-high heat. Cook rice, shaking pan frequently until rice turns golden, about 8 minutes.
• While rice is toasting, combine beef, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, Fish Sauce, shallots and ginger in a bowl.
• When rice is golden, pour on plate to cool. In same skillet over high heat, add beef mixture. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces, about 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat.
• Add remaining tablespoon of lime juice, scallions, mint, cilantro, Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce and sugar to meat. Mix well.
• Add cooled rice to spice grinder or blender, and grind into a sandy powder. Add to meat mixture and mix well.
• Spoon laab into a serving bowl lined with lettuce leaves, or serve on individual leaves for a pretty presentation. Garnish with whole mint leaves.

TRADITIONAL THAI LARB FOR LETTUCE PARCELS

Steps:

• Place the uncooked rice grains into a small pan and cook over a medium heat for about 10-15 mins, stirring often until golden brown and smelling toasted.
• Meanwhile, dry fry the mince and shallots in a deep frying pan for about 15 mins until the meat is browned all over and beginning to turn golden and caramelized. Add 4 tbsp water, fish sauce, chilli paste and palm sugar, stir well. Cover and cook for 10 mins on a low heat.
• Meanwhile, crush the toasted rice in a pestle and mortar to make a coarse powder. Add to the mince with the lime juice and spring onions.
• Serve topped with mint, Thai basil and coriander and serve either in lettuce leaves or with sticky rice.