Thai Pork Larb Food

PORK LARB LETTUCE WRAP

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients for the Dipping Sauce and whisk to blend. Set aside or refrigerate until use.
• For the Filling, heat up the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook until golden brown. Add the sugar and cook for 20 seconds.
• Mix in the pork and cook over moderate high heat. Break the meat finely and cook thoroughly until no pink, about 4 minutes. Add in the fish sauce and soy sauce, stir to mix. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• To assemble, take a tablespoon or two (depending on the size of the leave) of the ground pork filling and fill the middle of the lettuce leave. Add the dipping sauce on top of the meat, wrap and enjoy. If you like some extra heat, you may add the Thai chilies in your lettuce wraps, which is optional.

THAI LARB RECIPE (LARB MOO ลาบหมู)

Steps:

• First step is to make the toasted rice (khao kua ข้าวคั่ว).
• Heat a frying pan on low heat, toss in the uncooked Thai sticky rice (no oil). Stir continuously, kind of like you're roasting peanuts or coffee. Toast the rice until it turns from white to golden yellow, almost to the point where it looks like brown wheat. It will also be very fragrant and smell almost like popcorn. It took me about 15 minutes or so.
• Once the rice is finished toasting, and has cooled off a bit, put it into your stone mortar and pestle. Pound the rice until it turns into a coarse powder (a blender or food processor will also work fine). Put your toasted sticky rice powder in a bowl aside.
• Add 300 grams of minced pork to a small sized saucepan with a handle. Fry the pork, breaking it into small minced pieces, until it's fully cooked all the way through. For best flavor, leave all the oils that come out (but if you want to be healthier, you can also drain the pork oil, and add in a splash of water instead). Take the pork off the heat.
• Leaving the pork in the same pot, add 1 heaping tablespoon of the toasted rice powder into the pork. Also toss in ½ - 1 tablespoon of chili flakes.
• Add a pinch of sugar, ½ tablespoon of fish sauce, and squeeze in the juice from 1 - 2 limes (I used about 1 ½ full limes, but I like it quite sour).
• Give the pork and the seasoning a quick stir.
• Peel and slice the shallots, finely mince about 5 green onions and a few culantro leaves (if you have them), and just pluck about 20 or so mint leaves off the stem. Throw everything into the saucepan with the pork.
• Give the larb moo a good mix, making sure all the spices and dressing coats the pork.
• Taste test. See if it needs more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice, or chili flakes. Get it the way you want it.
• Dish it out onto a plate and garnish with more mint leaves, Thai sweet basil, and culantro.

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.

HERBY PORK LARB WITH CHILE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the rice, stirring frequently, until it starts to smell nutty and turns golden in color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder and allow to cool for a minute or two. Grind or pulse the rice until it has a powderlike consistency. You should have about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons. Set aside and wipe out the pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, bird's eye chile, chile flakes, half the scallions, half the mint and half the cilantro. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add pork, breaking meat apart with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until meat is no longer pink, but not browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove pork from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the bowl with the chile-herb mixture, add the rice powder and stir together until combined. Season with kosher salt to taste.
• Top with remaining herbs and serve. Season with flaky salt and an extra squeeze of lime, if desired.

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.

PORK LARB WITH FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oil in wok and stir fry the pork until cooked, about 6-7 minutes (drain any fat).
• Remove from heat and mix in the remaining ingredients, put in a nice bowl. Arrange the garnishes around the bowl on a nice platter. Diners just help themselves to the lettuce leaves and pork, plus garnishes.

THAI LARB WITH PORK AND LEMONGRASS

Steps:

• Whisk together the kecap manis, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and sambal oelek in a small bowl.
• Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat and add the pork mince stir-frying for 5 minutes or until the mince browns nicely. Add the lemon grass and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.
• Add the kecap manis mixture to the wok and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
• Divide the lettuce leaves among serving dishes. Spoon the mince mixture evenly among the lettuce leaves.
• Garnish with the mint and bean sprouts to serve.