Larb Mu (ลาบหมู)

Larb Mu (ลาบหมู), or "pork larb" is an easy Isan Thai/Lao salad made with ground meat, mint, lemongrass, chilies, and a tart and savory dressing.

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine Best, Thai

Level Beginner

Main Ingredient Pork

Diet Dairy-Free, Low-Carb

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 535kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

topping

¼ cup long-grain sticky rice (sometimes called glutinous rice)

dressing

2 tablespoons lime juice
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons chili flakes (to taste)
1 teaspoon coconut sugar

salad

1 small head butter lettuce (leaves separated)
20 grams Thai shallots (3-4 grape-sized , sliced)
20 grams scallions (2 , thinly sliced)
12 grams lemongrass (1 stalk, white-part finely minced)
10 grams culantro (or cilantro, chopped)
10 grams mint (leaves only)

pork

10 grams galangal (about ½-inch slice, smashed)
300 grams ground pork
Lime (wedges for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 C) and place the ¼ cup long-grain sticky rice on a baking sheet. Roast the rice for 12-15 minutes, or until the rice is golden brown and smells like popcorn.
¼ cup long-grain sticky rice
Let the rice cool a bit while you prepare the other ingredients, then grind it into a coarse powder (should be like large grains of sand) using a spice grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle.
For the dressing, combine the 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, 2 teaspoons chili flakes and 1 teaspoon coconut sugar in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.
2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, 2 teaspoons chili flakes, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
Prepare all the vegetables for the salad. For the 1 small head butter lettuce you may want to soak the leaves in cold water to crisp them, but be sure to dry them thoroughly before serving. You can put the 20 grams scallions, 20 grams scallions, 12 grams lemongrass, 10 grams culantro and 10 grams mint in the same bowl, as they will be going into the pork together.
1 small head butter lettuce, 20 grams Thai shallots, 20 grams scallions, 12 grams lemongrass, 10 grams culantro, 10 grams mint, 10 grams galangal
Add the 10 grams galangal along with ¼ cup of water to a pan and bring to a boil.
Add the 300 grams ground pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula. When the pork is cooked through turn off the heat and dump the pork into a strainer to remove the excess water Pick out the galangal and return the pork to the pan.
300 grams ground pork
Add the dressing, shallots, scallions, lemongrass, culantro and mint and give it a few tosses to evenly distribute. Do not cook the Larb any more.
Plate the Larb Mu and top with some of the toasted rice powder. Serve with the lettuce, additional herbs and wedges of Lime .
Lime

Nutrition