Pork larb lettuce cups
Ground pork cooked with lime, fish sauce and chile, tossed with fresh mint and cilantro and spooned into crisp lettuce cups. Fresh, sharp and light.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 7 min
- Serves
- 2
- Per serve
- 430 kcal
Ingredients
Method
If using, toast the rice in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, until deep golden. Tip into a mortar and pound to a coarse powder, or crush in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin.
Add the oil to the same pan and turn the heat to high. Add the pork and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains and some bits are starting to brown.
While the pork cooks, separate and rinse the lettuce leaves, slice the cucumber, and mix the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a small bowl.
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the shallots, chile and dressing. Let it sit for a minute so the pork soaks up the dressing.
Toss through the mint, cilantro, scallion and most of the rice powder. Taste: it should be salty, sour and hot in equal measure.
Spoon into the lettuce leaves, sprinkle with the remaining rice powder, and serve with cucumber and lime wedges.
Tips
- The toasted rice powder (khao khua) adds a nutty crunch that makes larb taste like larb. It's worth the 3 minutes.
- Ground chicken or turkey works just as well. Add a little more oil as they're leaner.
- Serve with sticky or jasmine rice to make it more filling.
