Laab (not Larb!)

Chiang Mai Style Pork Laab 

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork 

1/2 pound pork liver, optional

1 tablespoon Thaimee  laab chili powder, or to taste

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Dried chilies, to taste

4 Makrut lime leaves, thinly chiffonade or to taste 

4 garlic cloves, mashed and chopped (or about 3 tablespoons)

1 small shallots, sliced into small dices (about 1 tablespoons)

1 stalk lemongrass, use 1” from the root, thinly chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

1 spring mint or to taste, thinly chiffonade

2-3 culantro or to taste, thinly chiffonade

1 spring vietnamese mint or to taste, thinly chiffonade

1 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste

1 spring cilantro and more for garnish

1 spring scallion and more for garnish 

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground pork and  liver (if using) with Thaimee Laab seasoning, stir with your hands or a spatula until well blended. Set aside.

In a sauté pan, heat the vegetable  oil over medium-low heat. Fried chili until darkened - about 1 minute. Use a spider strainer to take them off the heat and rest them on a paper towel sheet, to drain the excessed oil. Set aside for garnish. Repeat the same process with Makrut lime leaves. 

In the same pan, lower the heat,  add about half the garlic and shallots, and fry until golden and fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic and shallots — the low heat is the better.  Once fragrant and golden (about 3 minutes), use a spider strainer to take them off the heat and rest them on a paper towel sheet, to drain the excessed oil. Set aside for garnish.

Discard about half the oil and turn up the heat. Add the rest of the garlic and shallots and lemongrass.  Sauteed until fragrant, about 1 minute. Bring in Laab seasoned pork and liver and cook for about 4-5 mins or until thoroughly cooked. Stir in mint, culantro and vietnamese mint and season with fish sauce. Mix well.  If the pork mixture is dry, add in about 1-2 tablespoons of water or stock as needed.  

Turn off the heat and transfer Laab to a platter and garnish with fried chilis, Makrut lime leaves, garlic and shallots, chopped cilantro, and scallions. Serve with sticky rice, crispy pork rind and other vegetables of choice.