Laos: Pork Larb

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE I USED

Laos was pretty easy when it came to finding something I wanted to make and eat. Larb was the first thing I saw and, after reading through the ingredients, my choice was made!

They describe the recipe as quick and easy but I consider the time you spend washing and drying and chopping the herbs and vegetables into the time it takes to make the recipe and I don't know that I would call it quick. I am a slow chopper so it might be quicker for other folks.

You need shallots, scallions, a pepper, cilantro, and mint for this one. And the juice of a lime. You'll also need to toast a small amount of rice and then smash it into a powder using a mortar and pestle. There's fish sauce in the mix too but you just pour that out of a bottle.

Once everything is prepped, the active cooking time is quick and easy. It all goes into a wok in stages, and you stir stuff for a bit. The active cooking time is pretty quick.

The final product is delicious and full of umami goodness! I ate it wrapped in lettuce and it was so so good! I might try the leftovers with steamed rice just to see how it goes with rice but I think it will be great.

I was skeptical about how mint would work in the mix but it was actually a pleasant surprise. It didn't leave the larb tasty minty, it just added another dimension to the flavor. If I didn't know the mint was in there, I probably wouldn't have realized it was in there.

Anyway, I absolutely would make this again. As a lettuce wrap, it would be a great summer meal!