Thai larb: fresh with a kick!
Larb is a wonderful combination of salad and minced meat with a salty-sour dressing. I first ate this generously spiced meat salad in Thailand and was immediately sold. The meat, pork in this recipe, but it can also be lamb, chicken or fish, is minced into very small pieces and then generously seasoned. You can use iceberg lettuce if you can’t find romaine lettuce.
We previously shared recipes for Thai larb, but cooking is freestyle and many recipes are variations on classics. For example, the Thai larb from nomnomnom does not contain toasted ground rice.
How to make Thai larb
First, make the bird’s eye chili and ginger dressing:
Pound the garlic and red bird’s eye chilies finely in a mortar. Add the ginger root, brown sugar, fish sauce, peanut oil and lime juice and mix until the brown sugar has dissolved. Store in the refrigerator for three days.
Then make the larb:
- Heat a large wok over high heat, add the sticky rice and toast for 10 minutes, or until the sticky rice is completely golden brown. Remove the sticky rice from the wok and grind it into a coarse powder in a mortar.
- Add the peanut oil to the wok and fry the shallots for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the minced pork, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bird’s eye chilies and garlic and fry for another 10 minutes over high heat. Toss everything regularly. Add the ground sticky rice, lime juice and fish sauce. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Pick the leaves from the heads of romaine lettuce, place them on a platter and divide the minced pork among the lettuce cups. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs and serve with the bird’s eye chili and ginger dressing for dipping the cups.
Preparation
Cook the pork in advance and reheat it before serving if desired.
Title: Meal Salads
Author: Emily Ezekiel
Price: €25,95
Publisher: Good Cook B.V.
Do you also love meal salads but could use some inspiration and tips? You’ll find them in Emily Ezekiel’s cookbook Meal Salads. Whether you’re a seasoned salad freak or only eat a meal salad occasionally: this is your book. And handy: with every recipe, Emily provides storage tips and/or suggestions for vegan options.
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