Pork Larb is a fresh clean recipe that over delivers on spicy Thai flavours!
When I was 20 I worked as a waitress in a contemporary Thai restaurant in Wellington called Anise. The menu was designed by David Thompson who is an expert in Thai cuisine. The restaurant had communal dining tables, fabulous cocktails and incredible décor; it was always buzzing! I adored the food so much and the Pork Larb dish flew out the door!
This is my version, which is quick and has so much flavour! I love serving this as part of a dinner party alongside a curry.
Ingredients needed for Pork Larb:
- White Rice
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Pork mince
- White sugar or palm sugar if you have it
- Fish sauce, if you don’t have fish sauce you can use salt
- Lime, or lemon
- Red chilli, or chilli flakes, to taste
- Shallots or ½ a small red onion, sliced
- Coriander leaves
- Mint leaves (or Vietnamese mint if you can get it)
- 2 Kaffir/Makrut lime leaves, spine removed and finely sliced
- Vegetables to serve, a selection of the below work nicely
- Carrots
- Lettuce – butter, cos or iceberg
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Tomatoes
How to make Pork Larb:
Firstly toast the rice by heat your Biroix cast iron dish, or a pan or wok, to a medium-low heat. Keep the pan dry (no oil) and stir constantly until the grains turn golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool, and then grind to a coarse powder, I like to do this in a pestle and mortar but you can do in a high powered blender or a food processor.
Place the Biroix dish back on to a medium – high heat, add the stock and sugar and bring to a simmer. Then add the pork and stir regularly, when it is almost cooked, add the shallots/red onion, fish sauce, and half the toasted rice. Cook for 1 minute then turn off the heat. Now add the lime juice, chilli /chilli flakes and herbs. Stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Add more fish sauce or sugar to balance the sweet and salty flavours.
Serve with the remaining toasted rice on top of the pork larb and with fresh vegetables.
I like to cut the vegetables into thick pieces so that you can use them like spoons for the larb.
If you are looking for more recipes using pork check out my posts for Pork Schnitzel and Hoisin Pork Ribs.
Common questions about Pork Larb:
What can I use instead of pork? You can use chicken mince instead of pork.
What if I don’t like chilli? You can leave out the chilli and it will still be delicious.
What wine would go well with Pork Larb? A medium Riesling or Gewurtraminer would be lovely.
Pork Larb
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon White Rice
- 100 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 500 grams pork mince
- 1 ½ teaspoon white sugar or palm sugar if you have it
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 lime
- 1 Red chilli or chilli flakes
- 3 shallots or ½ a small red onion sliced
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- ½ cup mint leaves or Vietnamese mint if you can get it
- 2 Kaffir/Makrut lime leaves spine removed and finely sliced
- Vegetables to serve a selection of these work nicely
- Carrots
- Lettuce – butter cos or iceberg
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Tomatoes
Instructions
-
Heat your Biroix cast iron dish, or a pan or wok, to a medium-low heat and toast the rice. Keep the pan dry (no oil) and stir constantly until the grains turn golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool, and then grind to a coarse powder, I like to do this in a pestle and mortar.
-
Place the Biroix dish back on to a medium – high heat, add the stock and sugar and bring to a simmer. Then add the pork and stir regularly, when it is almost cooked, add the shallots/red onion, fish sauce, and half the toasted rice. Cook for 1 minute then turn off the heat. Now add the lime juice, chilli /chilli flakes and herbs. Stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
-
Add more fish sauce or sugar to balance the sweet and salty flavours.
-
Serve with the remaining toasted rice on top of the pork larb and with fresh vegetables and steamed rice if you like.
-
I like to cut the vegetables into thick pieces so that you can use them like spoons for the larb.
-
Delicious!
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This recipe was written for Biroix who make these beautiful Cast Iron Dutch Ovens. I love cooking with my Biroix dishes and find them versatile and easy to clean. Plus so pretty to look at! You can find more information on Biroix here.
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