Larb Wglass Noodle Minced Pork Larb Woonsen Moo Sap Recipes

THAI LARB RECIPE (LARB MOO ลาบหมู)

Steps:

• First step is to make the toasted rice (khao kua ข้าวคั่ว).
• Heat a frying pan on low heat, toss in the uncooked Thai sticky rice (no oil). Stir continuously, kind of like you're roasting peanuts or coffee. Toast the rice until it turns from white to golden yellow, almost to the point where it looks like brown wheat. It will also be very fragrant and smell almost like popcorn. It took me about 15 minutes or so.
• Once the rice is finished toasting, and has cooled off a bit, put it into your stone mortar and pestle. Pound the rice until it turns into a coarse powder (a blender or food processor will also work fine). Put your toasted sticky rice powder in a bowl aside.
• Add 300 grams of minced pork to a small sized saucepan with a handle. Fry the pork, breaking it into small minced pieces, until it's fully cooked all the way through. For best flavor, leave all the oils that come out (but if you want to be healthier, you can also drain the pork oil, and add in a splash of water instead). Take the pork off the heat.
• Leaving the pork in the same pot, add 1 heaping tablespoon of the toasted rice powder into the pork. Also toss in ½ - 1 tablespoon of chili flakes.
• Add a pinch of sugar, ½ tablespoon of fish sauce, and squeeze in the juice from 1 - 2 limes (I used about 1 ½ full limes, but I like it quite sour).
• Give the pork and the seasoning a quick stir.
• Peel and slice the shallots, finely mince about 5 green onions and a few culantro leaves (if you have them), and just pluck about 20 or so mint leaves off the stem. Throw everything into the saucepan with the pork.
• Give the larb moo a good mix, making sure all the spices and dressing coats the pork.
• Taste test. See if it needs more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice, or chili flakes. Get it the way you want it.
• Dish it out onto a plate and garnish with more mint leaves, Thai sweet basil, and culantro.

THAI CHICKEN (OR PORK) SALAD WITH GLASS NOODLES - LARB WOOSEN GA

Steps:

• Soak bean threads in water for at least 5 minutes, then use scissors to cut it a few times into 2-3 inch pieces. Boil in water for just 2 minutes, drain, place in bowl, drizzle a small amount of vegetable oil over noodles to prevent them sticking together, and set aside. Do this while the chicken (or pork) cooks.
• To prepare khao koor: get a skillet fairly hot, and add 2 tablespoons of uncooked jasmine rice. Keep it moving until the rice starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Grind to a fairly coarse powder in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. The powder should retain some texture and not be too fine a powder.
• In the same skillet, cook the chicken/pork with the garlic with a small amount of oil.
• In a large mixing bowl, add shallots, cooked chicken (or pork), khao koor, ground Thai chile powder, chili flakes, fish sauce, and lime juice. Toss gently until mixed well.
• Add bean thread noodles, spring onion, cilantro, and toss it together a little (not too much).
• Transfer to a dish and top with a generous amount of whole fresh mint leaves.
• If not using the noodles, serve over rice with a side of fresh veggies, like sliced cuccumber, sliced green cabbage, raw sugar snap peas, etc.