Coconut Pork Laab Salad Recipes

HMONG GROUND PORK LARB

Steps:

• Toast the rice in a dry skillet until it turns tan. Grind coarsely in a spice grinder and set aside.
• Saute the ground meat in a frying pan without added oil until it has browned nicely, about 5 minutes, remove from the pan to cool while you chop the vegetables and herbs.
• When you are ready to make the salad, toss all the ingredients together, and serve in lettuce wraps. I like a little drizzle of sesame oil on top.

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.)

PORK LARB (THAI SALAD WITH PORK, HERBS, CHILI, AND TOASTED RICE POWDER) RECIPE

Steps:

• Place meat on a tray leaving a one inch space between each cube and place in freezer until firm but not frozen, about fifteen minutes. Transfer half of meat to bowl of food processor and pulse until meat is roughly ground and no pieces larger than 1/4-inch remain, about 10 one-second pulses. Transfer meat to a bowl. Repeat with remaining meat. Set aside.
• While meat chills, place rice in an empty 12-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat shaking constantly until rice is golden brown and a nutty popcorn-like aroma emerges, about 6 minutes. Transfer to mortar and pestle and grind until it has the texture of cracked black pepper. Alternatively, grind in a spice grinder. Set aside.
• Add oil and shallots to now-empty skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until shallots are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain shallots and discard oil but do not wipe out pan.
• Add pork, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons water to pan. Cook, stirring frequently until pork is just cooked through but not browned at all, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool five minutes. Add remaining fish sauce, scallions, basil, cilantro, mint, half of chili, lime juice, sugar, and toasted rice powder. Toss with hands and taste for seasoning, adding more chili if higher heat is desired.
• Just before serving, add fried shallots and toss again. Granish with pork rinds and chili. Serve immediately with cabbage or lettuce on the side.

COCONUT PORK LAAB SALAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle the rice into a heavy based fry pan and roast it gently over a medium heat.
• Once it begins turning golden brown, remove from heat and grind into a rough powder with a mortar and pestle.
• Put the coconut into the fry pan and roast it until golden brown.
• Remove and set aside.
• Put vegetable oil in fry pan and heat up.
• Add minced pork and begin to brown.
• Add 1 tbspn of water and stir as it cooks, separating and mashing pork into fine grains.
• Once pork is cooked, drain excess fluid.
• Chop cucumber into strips and add to a large serving bowl.
• Chop mint and coriander and add to bowl.
• Chop chillis into small pieces and add to bowl.
• Slice shallots and add to bowl.
• Add powdered rice, coconut and pork.
• Combine sugar with a little boiling water to dissolve.
• Add juice of the lime and fish sauce to the water.
• Mix and add to serving bowl.
• Give it a good stir.
• Taste and add more fish sauce and/or lime juice if required.