Chiang Mai Style Pork Laab
Laab
A bold and aromatic take on Northern Thai laab, packed with fragrant herbs, crispy garnishes, and deep umami flavors.
Ingredients
Protein & Seasoning
- 1 lb ground pork or other protein of choice
- 1/2 lb pork liver optional
- 1 tbsp Thaimee Laab Chili Powder or to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Aromatics & Herbs
- 4 units Makrut lime leaves
- 1 stalk lemongrass, use 1” from the root, thinly chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
- 4 cloves garlic mashed and chopped
- 1 unit smal shallot diced
- 1 sprig mint thinly chiffonade
- 2-3 units culantro leaves thinly chiffonade
- 1 sprig Vietnamese mint thinly chiffonade
- 1 sprig cilantro
- 1 sprig scallion
Crispy Garnish
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- dried chilies to taste
Instructions
Prep the Pork
- In a large bowl, mix ground pork and liver (if using) with Thaimee Laab chili powder. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
Make the Crispy Garnishes
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-low heat.
- Fry dried chilies until darkened (about 1 minute). Remove with a strainer and drain on paper towels.
- Fry Makrut lime leaves the same way and set aside.
- Reduce heat to low, then fry half the garlic and shallots until golden and fragrant (about 3 minutes). Be careful not to burn them. Remove and drain.
Cook the Laab
- Discard about half the oil, then increase heat to medium-high.
- Sauté the remaining garlic, shallots, and lemongrass until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add seasoned pork and liver, cooking for 4-5 minutes until fully cooked.
- Stir in mint, culantro, and Vietnamese mint. Season with fish sauce. If the mixture looks dry, add 1-2 tbsp of water or stock.
Serve & Enjoy
- Transfer Laab to a platter and top with crispy chilies, Makrut lime leaves, garlic, shallots, cilantro, and scallions. Serve with sticky rice and fresh vegetables.
Video
You refer to adding Lemon Grass in Step 2 of “Cook the Laab”, but there is no Lemon Grass in the ingredients section of the recipe. Is that missing?
Hey Peter, thank you so much for pointing that out! If you revisit the recipe you should now be able to see the lemongrass in the ingredients list. Enjoy.