Issan-Style Thai Pork Larb – Spicy & Flavorful Minced Pork Salad

Key Ingredients in Pork Larb

• Ground pork – Ground pork typically comes from minced pork shoulder meat and is incredibly versatile. Try swapping the pork for another lean ground meat like turkey or chicken in this recipe.
• Fish sauce – I love the funky umami flavor fish sauce adds to any dish. It’s a great way to enhance the flavor of curries like this beef panang curry, like or even chicken wings like these sweet chili wings. The flavor comes from a process of fermenting fish over a long period of time.
• Lime juice – Lime juice works well with the fish sauce to balance the flavors in this dish.
• Thai birdseye chilies – Bird’s eye chilies or Thai chilies are small, pointy chili peppers that pack a punch. They add an intense heat with fruity flavor to dishes rating between 50,000 and 100,000 Scoville units. Since they can sometimes be difficult to find I usually buy a large bag at them at my local Asian market and store them in the freezer in a resealable plastic bag.
• Lemongrass – Lemongrass adds a bright, lemony flavor to dishes. Fresh lemongrass is best for this recipe since it has a more complex flavor. Pre-packaged paste or dried lemongrass can be substituted if needed. Only use the bottom yellow part of the lemongrass stalk for cooking, the top part is typically much too tough.
• Shallot – Both raw, thinly sliced shallots as well as fried crispy shallots are used in this dish. The crispy shallots provide a savory crunch over the finished dish.
• Green onion – In this recipe I use both the white, more pungent bottom parts of the stalk as well as the more mild green tops.
• Mint leaves – Mint is as a beautiful contrast to the green onion, cilantro and lemongrass to create a vibrant flavor profile in this recipe.
• Cilantro – In the United States, cilantro refers to the stalk and leaves of the plant while coriander refers to the dried seeds. In many other cultures the terms are used interchangeably. This herb is one of my favorites and it adds a bright, lemony flavor.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to make Thai pork Larb

Step 1: Cook the pork. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the pork, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Cook until the pork is cooked through and no longer pink but not browned and season with salt, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 2: Make the sauce. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice and Thai chilies.

Step 3: Add pork to bowl. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork to the mixing bowl, draining as much of the cooking liquid as possible.

Step 4: Toss to combine with herbs. Toss to combine with the sauce then add the shallots, lemongrass, green onion, mint and cilantro. Toss once more.

Step 5: Make crispy shallots. Add enough oil to a 10” cast iron skillet ½” of the way up with the oil. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350ºF (180ºC) . Add the shallots and fry, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes, lowering the heat if they brown too quickly. Use tongs to remove the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate and cool for 5 minutes.

Step 6: Assemble and serve. Add the larb to a serving bowl and top with the crispy shallots. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sliced vegetables for serving.

Tried it? Loved it? Tweaked it? Leave a review below and tell me how it went – I’m all ears (and always hungry).

Issan-Style Thai Pork Larb

By Kylie Mazon-Chambers

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as an entrée.

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Ingredients:

For the larb:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 pound ground pork
• ▢ Kosher salt, as needed
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ▢ 2 Thai birdseye chilies, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced (tender parts only)
• ▢ 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup roughly chopped mint leaves
• ▢ ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro

For the crispy shallots:

• ▢ Vegetable oil as needed, for frying
• ▢ 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

For serving:

• ▢ 1 medium English cucumber, sliced on the bias
• ▢ 6 ounces green beans
• ▢ ¼ head cabbage, leaves separated
• ▢ 1 small head butter lettuce, leaves separated

Instructions:

For the larb:

• Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Add the pork, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Cook until the pork is cooked through and no longer pink but not browned and season with salt, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice and Thai chilies.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork to the mixing bowl, draining as much of the cooking liquid as possible.
• Toss to combine with the sauce then add the shallots, lemongrass, green onion, mint and cilantro. Toss once more.

For the crispy shallots:

• Add enough oil to a 10” cast iron skillet ½” of the way up with the oil. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350ºF . Add the shallots and fry, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes, lowering the heat if they brown too quickly.
• Use tongs to remove the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate and cool for 5 minutes.

For serving:

• Add the larb to a serving bowl and top with the crispy shallots. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sliced vegetables for serving.

Notes:

You can omit the fried shallots to simplify the recipe. Try serving over rice for a quick weeknight dinner.

Nutrition:

Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1801mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 881IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg

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