Pork Larb with Tangy Thai Vinaigrette

Once you get over the seemingly strange name of this dish you’ll realize that it’s absolutely delicious. Larb, meaning “meat salad”, was once the unofficial national dish of Laos that eventually found it’s way to Thailand. I’ve substituted the traditional toasted rice that is normally part of this recipe in favour of using toasted sesame seeds. This is an incredibly flavourful mix of citrus, saltiness, and freshness that you would expect from Thai cuisine, with just the right amount of crunch mixed in.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings: 6

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Calories: 394

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

2 lbs ground pork
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
5 tbsp fish sauce divided
3 tbsp sugar divided
1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint torn
1/2 cup fresh cilantro torn
1/2 cup fresh basil torn
2 limes juice + zest
1 tbsp water
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground
6-12 leaves Boston lettuce for serving
2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted

Equipment

large frying pan (or wok)
small frying pan
small mixing bowl
microplane
citrus juicer
whisk
measuring cups and spoons

Method

Mise en Place

Assemble equipment. Tear fresh herbs, peel and slice garlic and onion, wash and dry lettuce, zest and juice lemon, measure and separate all ingredients.

Bring it Together

Add sesame seeds to a small frying pan and toast until slightly brown (about 2-3 minutes) over medium heat. Set aside.
Combine 2 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of sugar, salt and pepper, lime juice and zest, water, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Add olive oil to a large frying pan (or wok) and heat over medium until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until slightly browned – approximately 1 minute.
Sprinkle 2 tbsp of sugar into frying pan and add the ground pork. Continue to cook over medium heat until the pork is fully cooked and browned (between 10 and 15 minutes) using a spatula to turn and stir the meat.
Add remaining 3 tbsp of fish sauce to pork mixture and allow to cook for and additional 2 minutes, turning or tossing occasionally. Remove from heat and add onions and fresh herbs.
Spoon pork mixture onto lettuce leaves and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with tangy Thai vinaigrette on the side.

Notes

The zest from citrus fruits can add an amazing amount of additional flavour to a dish Whenever I see a recipe that calls for lemon, lime, or orange juice I almost always add the zest as well. Give it a try!
Additional spiciness can be added to this dish by substituting a small amount of Thai chilies in place of the red pepper flakes.

Pork Larb with Tangy Thai Vinaigrette