Spicy Minced Pork Salad (Larb Moo)
Warm minced pork tossed with lots of lime juice, fish sauce, chili flakes, fresh herbs and toasted rice powder — the sour-salty-spicy salad that defines Isan home cooking.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Toast and grind the rice
Put the uncooked rice in a dry pan over medium-low heat and toast, stirring all the time, until it turns deep golden-brown and smells nutty like popcorn, about 6-8 minutes. Let it cool, then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar or spice grinder.
- 2 tbsp uncooked sticky rice
✅ Done when: the rice grains are deep golden-brown all over and smell toasty, not just pale
Cook the pork gently
Bring the water or stock to a simmer in a wide pan or wok. Add the minced pork and break it up with a spatula into small, loose crumbles. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until no pink remains; cooking it in a little liquid instead of oil keeps the pork moist and prevents dense clumps.
- 80 ml water or chicken stock
- 500 g minced pork
✅ Done when: the pork is fully opaque with no pink left and most of the liquid has been absorbed
Dress it while hot
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Add herbs and shallots
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Taste and balance
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Toast and grind the rice
Put the uncooked rice in a dry pan over medium-low heat and toast, stirring all the time, until it turns deep golden-brown and smells nutty like popcorn, about 6-8 minutes. Let it cool, then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar or spice grinder.
- 2 tbsp uncooked sticky rice
✅ Done when: the rice grains are deep golden-brown all over and smell toasty, not just pale
Cook the pork gently
Bring the water or stock to a simmer in a wide pan or wok. Add the minced pork and break it up with a spatula into small, loose crumbles. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until no pink remains; cooking it in a little liquid instead of oil keeps the pork moist and prevents dense clumps.
- 80 ml water or chicken stock
- 500 g minced pork
✅ Done when: the pork is fully opaque with no pink left and most of the liquid has been absorbed
Dress it while hot
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Add herbs and shallots
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Taste and balance
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Larb belongs to the Lao-Isan culinary world that stretches across the Mekong River, where minced meat salads sharpened with lime and fish sauce have long been everyday food, often made with whatever meat was on hand and whatever herbs grew nearby.
As Isan families moved to Bangkok and other cities for work, larb moo traveled with them, becoming one of the most ordered dishes at Isan restaurants and night markets across Thailand today.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It delivers an intense hit of sour, salty, spicy and herbal flavor in one bite, built on humble ingredients and the clever crunch of toasted rice powder.
💡 Fun Fact
The toasted rice powder, khao khua, is also used to flavor other Isan dishes like nam tok and some versions of som tam, giving the whole region's food its signature nutty note.
Isan, northeastern Thailand (with roots shared with Laos)
16.43°N, 102.82°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!