Thai Pork Laab (ground pork and mint salad)
This is a very quick and easy recipe. It has a great contrast in flavor between the spiciness of the chili flake, the sourness of lime, and the freshness of mint leaves. Plus, it's a salad made out of pork.Laab is typically served on shredded lettuce with sticky rice or as a wrap with green or red leaf lettuce. Make sure to wash your lettuce.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp meat seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, onion)
- 3 branches mint leaves
- 1 tbsp crushed chili flakes
- 1 green onion chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 large shallot chopped
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp crushed toasted rice powder
Instructions
How to make toasted rice powder
- Add 2 tbsp of uncooked rice to a dry skillet.
- Toast on medium heat until brown.
- In either a spice grinder or a mortar and pestal, grind into a powder.
Making the salad
- Cook on medium heat in a skillet the ground pork. Stir in the meat seasoning once browned. Set aside and let cool off.
- In a bowl, mix mint, crushed chili flakes, lime juice, green onion, cilantro, shallots, and fish sauce. Add in the cooled off ground pork. Mix together. Sprinkle the toasted rice powder on the pork salad and mix together some more.
- Serve on top of a bed of shredded lettuce or serve as a lettuce wrap with whole green or red leaf lettuce.
