Herby Pork Larb With Chile Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

ShadowThuy

Vietnamese food also uses rice powder, ground from toasted uncooked rice, called "thinh". You can get it in small packets in Asian markets, usually located near the spices and the various starches, like tapioca and rice flour. For crispy fried shallots,Trader Joe's sells containers of "fried onions" that tastes just like it. Saves time without foregoing taste or authenticity.

HR

While I was living in Indonesia I learned from my cook to fry dried onion flakes (the kind you find in jars in the spice section) instead of fresh shallots. This yields a toasty brown and crunchy result in seconds and is much less oily than the fresh shallots, which catch oil in all their nooks and crannies. Tastes delicious too.

Atara

Loved this recipe! The lime levels are perfect. I added chopped peanuts to it which gave it a nice crunch. Would definitely recommend doing a super fine grind on the rice. COOK THIS NOW.

betts

Love this. Makes a great light dinner on hot nights.In my opinion, the toasted rice powder doesn’t add enough flavor for the effort. Use finely chopped unsalted peanuts. Yes I know that the rice is traditional.This recipe is way better than any lettuce wraps in a restaurant. Even good as leftovers. Was tempted to add rice noodles for salad entree for the leftovers.

SH in SM

Didn't feel like toasting and grinding up the jasmine rice, but I had a box of Rice Krispies at home so I just smashed that up with the bottom of a cup instead. Tasted great. Live dangerously!

KWH

Great as written. I'm all for saving time, but ignore the comment about "fussy" rice powder. It only takes about 5 minutes to make and really takes the dish to another level.

C. Musick

I followed the recipe to a tee PLUS added 3 sliced garlic cloves and it knocked out of the park! Exactly like our Thai restaurant's dish. Even better here at home. Good job;-)

Joe A.

A larb also works great as a filling for lettuce cups if you're trying to stay away from rice. An easy sub for the fresh bird's eye chili would be serranos, et al. I keep my leftover broken rice in the freezer; it goes bad fairly quickly.

Bob

This dish (more properly Anglicized and spelled "lahp" - I speak and write Thai after living there for many years) is most commonly made with ground beef, at least in Isaan. This pork version sounds good, and the seasoning seems correct. Try to use real Thai chili peppers - "prik kee noo." That will make it truly authentic, and HOT!

Claudine Jones

General consensus in our kitchen was that this is a keeper. It didn't need extra salt because fish sauce is already salty in our humble opinion. Left out the red chili flakes and added some mild jalapeno. Could probably use a little more lime juice. As to the rice powder: this was the single most dare I say authentic ingredient that I think I would have missed had I not gone to the trouble of making it. Not really that difficult; used my mortar and pestle.

MFP

Excellent recipe. The toasted rice added that great Larb texture. Next time will make a bunch and keep it on hand.

quilter

I left out the bird chili and used about 1/3 of a jalapeño-no seeds, used 1 T miso paste with a couple tablespoons of low sodium soy mixed to sub for fish sauce, forgot the sugar and omitted the rice. Served on a leaf of bok Choy with a base of jasmine rice and heaped the pork and herb mix on top. Also added a slaw of jicama, cucumber, red pepper and thinly sliced bok choy dressed sparingly with a mix of soy, sesame oil and unseasoned rice vinegar topped with toasted sesame seeds. Yum!

Barbara

This is the best Thai dish I have ever made, and I couldn't be more pleased!Too fish saucy for some in the family, so more for me...

ecdrury

I've eaten vegetarian versions of this with tofu, mushrooms, and even banana blossoms substituted for the pork/meat. Very tasty!

trowe2

Super tasty and refreshing! I added 4 chopped garlic cloves and about an inch of ginger, cut into slivers along with the pork. Used half a large jalapeño instead of the Thai chili pepper. This reheated well for lunch the next day.

Alex

I have glutinous rice flour; could that work instead of toasting/grinding the jasmine rice? Thanks! I love all the herbs and fresh flavors in this dish; I'm going to try it with crumbled tofu instead. :)

Brenda

I made it with pork and it was excellent. I might have used a bit more than the called for herbs. Served with both rice and roasted cabbage. The toasted rice powder is worth the effort. Though, I've used peanuts and fried onions as a past Larb topping and they work.

Momrat3

I cooked it as written, except that I didn't roast the iceberg lettuce. The whole family loved this recipe. Even my picky grandchildren snarfed it down! I managed to get one small wrap for myself, but it was great to see them enjoy this tasty dish. I had brown rice on the side to sop up what fell out of the wraps. Definitely on the repeat list at my house, but I will triple the recipe if family comes to dinner.

Frankie

So delicious, and satisfies all the right flavor notes of this cuisine for me. Using a coffee grinder for the rice is an easy solution to the 'fussiness'. This dish kicked off my absolute obsession with bird's eye chilies.

bippitybop

Add no salt, at least without tasting, because at least my fish sauce is plenty salty and I am an over-salter.

Robin

This is as good as the larb I get at restaurants, so yummy and easy to make. I toasted the rice and ground it by hand in a bowl with an empty wine bottle; the rice is brittle enough to grind easily like this. I used ground chicken, and I found Asian fried onions at my local grocery store. I love how herbaceous it is. Had it with rice, a great dish even for a chilly San Francisco summer evening.

Ruth

Just delicious. I've made multiple times now. I sub jalapeno for the birds eye as that is what I can find and never skip the toasted rice. Delightful and fast!

Carlee

One of the only recipes I’ve made “as written” exactly and it’s incredible every time. No alteration needed :)

ZT

This is always a hit.

danicas notes

Use Arborio rice

Joel

This is such a simple, delicious dish. Larb is my go-to meal at Thai restaurants and it is now in my rotation at home. Amazing!

Betsy

Excellent recipe! Made as is except for the bird's eye chili, which I couldn't find, and used one serrano. Like another reviewer, I gave the option of topping with TJ's chili oil peanuts and served with lettuce cups along with jasmine rice. Delish and the entire family ate. A Christmas miracle if ever there was one!

Nicole

I used crumbled Beyond burger in place of the pork and it came out perfectly. This will be a new staple for weeknights - meatless or not!

Barbara

This dish had crazy umami. I have an umami-meter when I read a recipe, and this one lit up all the lights, but the reality was off the charts. Wow! This larb is in my rotation now. Thank you so much.

Ruth

Sooo good! I'd definitely do more herbs next time. No mortar and pestle or spice grinder, but I did a quick deep clean of my coffee bean grinder and voila! Was totally worth it and those crispy bites were delicious.

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Herby Pork Larb With Chile Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is pork larb made of? ›

Pork Larb (Thai Salad with Pork, Herbs, Chile, and Toasted Rice Powder) Recipe. This Isan-style salad is seasoned with fish sauce, chiles, palm sugar, lime, and plenty of fresh herbs, then showered with crispy shallots and crushed pork rinds.

What are some ingredients of Thai larb? ›

larb Isan is known for its robust spiciness. Minced meat is usually seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, chilli powder, grounded roasted rice, shallots, and spring onions. Some recipes also include coriander and mint leaves.

Is LAAB and larb the same? ›

Laab / Larb (Lao: ລາບ; Thai: ลาบ, RTGS: lap, pronounced [lâːp], also spelled laap, larp, or lahb) is a type of Lao meat salad that is the national dish of Laos, along with green papaya salad and sticky rice. Laab in the Lao language is a noun that refers to meat or other flesh that has been finely chopped and pounded.

What does larb taste like? ›

A ground beef dish that originated from Northern Thailand. The larb is sweet from the natural taste of beef and the sugar, yet slightly tart from the lime and fish sauce. The cilantro, mint, ginger and green onion mix adds a freshness and clean taste to the dish.

What does larb mean in Thai? ›

Larb means that the dish is chopped. Chopped to the max. And how you add flavor to these chopped creations varies vastly from region to region. The larb spice mix that we have just received comes from Northern Thailand. Laap Muang.

What ethnicity is larb? ›

While typically perceived as Thai, larb actually originated in Laos — where it is largely considered the national dish! Over time, the dish migrated and became popular in Thailand. Today, the dish is regional to both Laos and Isan, the northeastern region of Thailand.

Is larb healthy? ›

Best: Chicken Larb

Larb is often served with sticky white rice and lettuce. Use the lettuce leaves as salad cups, and you'll get extra heart-healthy vitamin K. But skip the rice; it tacks on extra calories without adding much nutrition.

What are the 4 pillars of Thai cooking? ›

What are the 5 Pillars of Thai Cuisine?
  • 1 – Spicy Flavours. Heat is a vital element within Thai cooking. ...
  • 2 – Sour flavours. Thai cooking relies heavily on citrus to bring out the spice and compliment any saltiness within the dish. ...
  • 3 – Sweet Flavours. ...
  • 4 – Salty Flavours. ...
  • 5 – Aromatic Flavours.

What to eat with larb? ›

Because laab is mostly meat, it is served with a lot of raw vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce leaves, cucumber and long beans. It is also always served with sticky rice.

Why does larb smell? ›

Why? Authentic larb gai is made with padaek which is a fermented fish made into a thick fish sauce. Fermented fish is what makes larb smell. If you can't get over the smell, this is one of the ingredients that can be omitted from the recipe without any substitutions.

What is the difference between larb and Nam Tok? ›

Unlike larb, raw meat is not used to cook nam tok. Nam tok is prepared by adding shallots, lime juice, onion, mint leaves, cilantro and fragrant roasted ground rice (khao khua) to grilled meat sliced to bite-size pieces. The result is a juicy salad with a tangy, spicy sauce that is quite a hit!

How to cook pork larb? ›

Heat oil in wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the pork and cook, stirring with a wok charn or metal spatula to break up any lumps, for 10 minutes or until pork changes colour and begins to brown. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook, tossing, for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Remove from heat.

What is the meaning of pork larb? ›

/lɑːrb/ a meat salad often made with minced pork (= the meat from a pig) and common in southeast Asian cooking: I was served larb, a spicy minced pork salad, with mint and coriander on radicchio lettuce leaves.

How do you eat Thai larb? ›

You can serve chicken larb warm, or lightly chilled making it a refreshing and light meal. I love serving chicken larb in bowl form with steamed rice, cucumbers, lettuce cups, and loads of fresh herbs. Chicken larb bowls are an easy and economic dinner recipe that you'll turn to again and again!

What is Vietnamese larb? ›

Larb, which means "chopped up" in Thai, is a minced meat salad made from virtually any protein — pork, chicken, beef, duck, or fish.

Is larb raw meat? ›

Raw larb, also known as laab diip or koy nua, is a spicy raw beef salad from Thailand's Isan region. It combines minced beef, often with blood and beef bile, with toasted rice powder and spices, creating bold flavors unique to Lao and Isan cuisine.

What kind of meat is pork belly? ›

Pork belly comes from a hog's belly' or underside after the loin and spareribs have been removed. Fresh pork belly is succulent and richly flavorful and is often served in small portions. Pork belly is at its best and is most tender when prepared using a slow cooking method, such as braising.

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