How to Make Larb with Anthony Singhavong
The first video in our EATogether series is for larb, a dish popular in Laos and parts of northern Thailand. Anthony Anousone Singhavong shares with us the Lao version that has been handed down to him through the generations:
“My favorite version of larb involves breaking down a whole chicken and using all the parts to make a delicious larb gai. My grandma and mom taught me how to refine the recipe over the years with fresh ingredients. The thing I enjoyed most was cooking with them and learning about how they used to prepare meals in the villages they grew up in. Regardless of what protein you use as the base of your larb dish, please know it’s meant to be enjoyed with a lot of sticky rice and good people around the table with you.”
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Pork Larb Recipe
- 1 3-inch piece lemongrass, remove outer layers, finely chopped
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup sticky rice (otherwise known as glutinous thai rice)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup chopped mint
- 1/3 cup minced garlic
- 1 shallot chopped (or 1/2 red onion should work too)
- Salt to taste (kosher preferred but any other should work)
- Thai bird eye chiles, finely chopped (start with 2-3 chili and add more)
For Ground Pork (2 Lbs)
- I like to add a little bit of back fat or fatty pieces into the larb for juiciness
- Throw the garlic, shallot on the stove with some oil on medium cook pork completely, few pinches of salt during cook
- Add lemongrass/white stalk of scallion midway through cook
- When nearly done cooking, transfer to mixing bowl
- Pour fish sauce and coat meat then add the toasted rice powder
- Toss with the rest of the herbs and lime juice in a mixing bowl (like a salad/dressing)
- Serve with Persian cucumbers, romaine lettuce, and any type of rice (I prefer sticky, of course)
For Toasted Rice Powder
- Place rice in a small skillet and set over medium heat.
- Toast, shaking pan constantly to keep rice moving, until evenly browned, (10–15 minutes)
- Let cool then grind in spice mill to a powder
