Larb – a popular minced meat salad dish found in Laos and Thailand – is a healthy, light dish, great for using up some of your summer produce and garden fresh herbs. And a fun way to try out some of your Asian spices and salts, like Lemongrass Ginger Seasoning and Thai Sriracha Sea Salt.
Thai Minced Pork Salad with Lemongrass Ginger Seasoning is my streamlined version of Larb. The dish has endless possibilities, so modify this recipe to suit what’s in your kitchen, and for your own flavor preferences. The fundamental idea of the dish is in the layering of protein with veggies and fresh herbs.
1. Ground, toasted sticky rice is often added in with the meat during the cooking process to give the dish some extra bite and for that warm, toasted aroma. Toasting the rice, and grinding it into a coarse powder, is well worth the work if you have the time, but if you’re in a crunch, take a short-cut and just grind up some rice crackers instead. Otherwise, go ahead and skip this ingredient.
2. Since the dish is already packed full of fresh veggies and herbs, you can speed up the prep time by flavoring the dish with quality dried spices instead of only fresh spices. Try a combination of our Lemongrass Ginger Seasoning and Smoked Serrano Chili Pepper.
3. Choose a premium ground meat, and make sure it’s ground finely for this dish. The texture and taste just wasn’t right until I tried a locally sourced ground pork from our local co-op.
4. For those of you who do not have fish sauce at home (or prefer not use it), our Thai Ginger-Lime Sea Salt or Thai Sriracha Sea Salt is a fun way to season this Minced Pork Salad.
5. For vegetables, mix it up with diced cucumbers, red bell peppers, scallions, green salad leaves, shallots, red onion, and more.
6. Fresh herbs are essential ingredients in this minced meat salad. Try a combination of mint leaves, cilantro, and Thai basil.
7. I keep a jar of crushed, unsalted peanuts (or cashews) in my pantry. They always come in handy as a garnish for Southeast Asian dishes like this one.
8. For a spicy version, you can sprinkle in smoked serrano chili powder or bird’s eye chili powder.
In the late summer and early fall, I like to serve this Thai Minced Pork Salad with a stack of large lettuce leaves, and side dishes of lime wedges and crushed peanuts. Then let everyone fix their own lettuce wrap. But for a quicker version, you can serve the mixture in a garden salad or serve it over brown rice.
Thai Minced Pork Salad with Lemongrass Ginger Seasoning
by Season with Spice
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp water or chicken broth
1 lb ground pork (ground chicken, turkey or beef work fine too)
2-3 garlic cloves – minced
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp Season with Spice’s Lemongrass Ginger Seasoning, or to taste
1/4 tsp Season with Spice’s Smoked Serrano Chili Powder (optional, for spicy version)
1 small cucumber – diced
2 golden shallots – thinly sliced (or 4-5 Thai shallots if you can find them)
Generous squeezes of lime juice
Season with Spice’s Thai Ginger-Lime Sea Salt or Thai Sriracha Sea Salt, to season
A large handful of fresh herbs (mint leaves, cilantro, Thai basil or a mix of them)
Crushed roasted peanuts
To serve: Butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, and/or with brown rice
Method:
1. Heat water or broth in a large frying pan or wok until it starts to boil. Add in minced pork and give it a few stirs. Add in garlic, and stir continuously to break down the meat. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add in oyster sauce, and continue to stir-fry until pork is just cooked. Add in the sugar. Cook for another two minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is fully cooked. Quickly stir in diced cucumber to mix with the meat, along with the lemongrass ginger seasoning and smoked serrano chili powder (if using).
2. Remove from heat, then add in the shallots and fresh herbs. Squeeze in lime juice and give everything a good mix. Finally, sprinkle in Thai Sriracha Sea Salt or Thai Ginger Lime Sea Salt. Taste, and adjust any seasonings.
3. Dish out and garnish with more fresh herbs. You can serve the Thai Minced Pork Salad with lettuce for wraps, or over brown rice. Serve along with lime wedges, and crushed peanuts or cashews.
by Season with Spice
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp water or chicken broth
1 lb ground pork (ground chicken, turkey or beef work fine too)
2-3 garlic cloves – minced
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp Season with Spice’s Lemongrass Ginger Seasoning, or to taste
1/4 tsp Season with Spice’s Smoked Serrano Chili Powder (optional, for spicy version)
1 small cucumber – diced
2 golden shallots – thinly sliced (or 4-5 Thai shallots if you can find them)
Generous squeezes of lime juice
Season with Spice’s Thai Ginger-Lime Sea Salt or Thai Sriracha Sea Salt, to season
A large handful of fresh herbs (mint leaves, cilantro, Thai basil or a mix of them)
Crushed roasted peanuts
To serve: Butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce, and/or with brown rice
Method:
1. Heat water or broth in a large frying pan or wok until it starts to boil. Add in minced pork and give it a few stirs. Add in garlic, and stir continuously to break down the meat. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add in oyster sauce, and continue to stir-fry until pork is just cooked. Add in the sugar. Cook for another two minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is fully cooked. Quickly stir in diced cucumber to mix with the meat, along with the lemongrass ginger seasoning and smoked serrano chili powder (if using).
2. Remove from heat, then add in the shallots and fresh herbs. Squeeze in lime juice and give everything a good mix. Finally, sprinkle in Thai Sriracha Sea Salt or Thai Ginger Lime Sea Salt. Taste, and adjust any seasonings.
3. Dish out and garnish with more fresh herbs. You can serve the Thai Minced Pork Salad with lettuce for wraps, or over brown rice. Serve along with lime wedges, and crushed peanuts or cashews.
