Thai Spiced Lamb In Lettuce Cups 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 LETTUCE WRAPS (LARB GAI, LAAB GAI)

Steps:

• Sauce: Place water and cornflour OR rice powder into a small bowl. Mix into a slurry. Add lime juice, fish sauce and sugar and mix to combine. Set aside.
• Heat peanut oil in a wok (or heavy based fry pan) over medium high heat. Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass and chilli and sauté for 45 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn, it will taste bitter.
• Add the chicken and turn up the heat to high. Cook the chicken, breaking up the mince into small pieces.
• Once the chicken turns white and is almost cooked through (about 3 to 4 minutes), add Sauce. Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute to coat the chicken and for the sauce to thicken.
• Remove wok from heat. Stir through onion, coriander/cilantro and mint.
• Spoon filling into a bowl, and serve with lettuce, peanuts, extra herbs and lime wedges on the side - leave everyone to make their own. Spoon filling into lettuce cups and garnish with what you want!
• Sauce option: Take it over the top by serving with Thai Peanut Satay Sauce, as pictured in the first photo in post! It's extra amazing (though not traditional!)

LAMB CHOPS WITH SPICY THAI PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• In food processor, pulse the garlic and cilantro until finely chopped.
• Add all other ingredients except the lamb; pulse until a paste forms.
• Spread 1/4 cup of the paste over the chops.
• In a saucepan, whisk remaining paste with 1/3 cup of water.
• Warm the sauce over low heat; it should be pourable.
• Light a grill or preheat a grill pan.
• Grill the chops over a medium-high fire for 4 minutes per side, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a chop registers 125 to 130 degrees for medium rare.
• Transfer the chops to a platter.
• Spoon some warm peanut sauce over the lamb chops and serve, passing the extra sauce on the side.

PORK & CHILLI LETTUCE CUPS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallot, lemongrass, garlic and chilli for 3 mins until fragrant. Add the pork mince and stir-fry for about 10 mins more until the pork is cooked through and browned. Add the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice, and cook for a couple more minutes until the pork is coated in the mixture. To freeze, leave to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag, seal and lay flat in the freezer (so the mince stays in a thin layer). Will keep for up to two months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before using. Reheat in a dry frying pan over a low heat until piping hot.
• Divide the pork mince between the lettuce leaves and garnish with the spring onions, carrots and herbs, then serve.