Pork Larb, The National Dish of Laos
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
372 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Asian
Pork Larb, The National Dish of Laos
Description
Pork Larb, recognized as a national dish of Laos, combines cooked ground pork with toasted rice powder, fresh herbs, and traditional seasonings. The rice grains are toasted until golden and ground roughly, which adds a distinctive crunch and nuttiness to the dish. Ground pork is stir-fried with vegetable oil, then seasoned with sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice to create a savory and tangy base.
Fresh red chili, thinly sliced shallots, scallions, cilantro, and mint are added last to introduce cooling, herbal, and spicy elements. These ingredients give contrast to the richness of the pork and highlight the dish’s layered flavors. The dish is typically served alongside sticky rice, steamed jasmine rice, or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a fresh bite.
This preparation involves straightforward stir-frying with continuous mixing to keep the pork tender and evenly cooked. Adjust seasoning by tasting for balance between salty, sour, spicy, and sweet according to individual preferences.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sticky rice you can also substitute regular white rice if you don’t have sticky rice, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground pork (450g)
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 1 red chili (sliced)
- 3 shallot peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 scallions (chopped)
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ cup mint
Instructions
- In a dry wok or pan over low heat, toast the rice grains, stirring continuously until they turn golden and fragrant––about 10 minutes. Grind to a coarse powder in a mortar & pestle. Set aside.
- Place your wok back over high heat until smoking. Add the oil and the ground pork. Stir-fry until the pork is browned, and add in the toasted rice powder, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice.
- Stir-fry for another minute, and then add in the chili, shallots, scallions, cilantro, and mint. Stir-fry for one more minute, and then taste for seasoning, adding more chili, sugar, fish sauce, and/or lime juice to your taste if needed.
- Serve with sticky rice, steamed jasmine rice, and/or lettuce leaves.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 372 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 372kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Cholesterol | 82mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 424mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 494mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 505IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 24.4mg | 27% |
| Calcium | 43mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1.8mg | 10% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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