Northern Thai Laab Kua and Sticky Rice
ID: b76f8047...
A traditional Northern Thai celebratory dish featuring aromatic, dry-sautéed minced pork and liver seasoned with a rich spice blend. It is served with perfectly steamed sticky rice, a colorful array of fresh vegetables, and crispy pork rinds.
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🍳 Cooking Flow
Toast and grind dry spices to make the Prik Laab seasoning. → Steam the pre-soaked glutinous rice in a bamboo steamer for 20 minutes (flipping halfway). → Finely mince the pork tenderloin, slice the liver, and mix them with the spice powder. → Sauté lemongrass, shallots, and garlic in a wok, then add the meat mixture and stir-fry until cooked. → Stir in fresh herbs and fish sauce, then serve on a platter with fresh vegetables and sticky rice.
Cooking Steps
Brief Cooking Order
Toast and grind dry spices to make the Prik Laab seasoning. → Steam the pre-soaked glutinous rice in a bamboo steamer for 20 minutes (flipping halfway). → Finely mince the pork tenderloin, slice the liver, and mix them with the spice powder. → Sauté lemongrass, shallots, and garlic in a wok, then add the meat mixture and stir-fry until cooked. → Stir in fresh herbs and fish sauce, then serve on a platter with fresh vegetables and sticky rice.
Introduction
A traditional Northern Thai celebratory dish featuring aromatic, dry-sautéed minced pork and liver seasoned with a rich spice blend. It is served with perfectly steamed sticky rice, a colorful array of fresh vegetables, and crispy pork rinds.
Step 1
Prepare the Laab Chili Seasoning (Prik Laab): Toast all the dry spices (Sichuan peppercorns, white peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, dried chiles, nutmeg, dee plee, coriander seeds, cloves, mace, and luk krawan) in a dry wok over medium-low heat until highly fragrant and slightly darkened. Transfer them to a stone mortar and pestle, add kosher salt, and grind into a fine powder.
Step 2
Prepare the Sticky Rice: Soak the glutinous rice in room-temperature water for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain the water, then line a traditional bamboo cone steamer (Huad) with a wet cheesecloth. Put the rice inside, cover with a lid, and steam over boiling water for 10 minutes. Flip the rice in the basket and steam for another 10 minutes until translucent.
Step 3
Mince and Season the Pork: Thinly slice the pork liver. Slices the pork tenderloin and use two heavy cleavers to finely mince it on a cutting board. Combine the minced pork and sliced liver in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the prepared chili seasoning, and mix thoroughly by hand.
Step 4
Prepare the Fresh Aromatics: Smash the lemongrass stalk to release the oils, then slice it thinly. Thinly slice the shallots, smash and chop the garlic, and finely chop the cilantro (including the root). Finely shred the makrut lime leaves, mint, and sawtooth cilantro.
Step 5
Cook the Laab: Heat vegetable oil in a wok. Fry the dried Thai chiles until crisp and set aside. Fry the garlic until golden brown and set aside. Sauté the sliced shallots and lemongrass, then add the seasoned pork and liver mixture. Stir-fry, adding a splash of water if the mixture gets dry. Once cooked, stir in the fresh herbs and season with fish sauce.
Ingredients List
Important Notes
Northern Thai Laab Kua is cooked and dry-sautéed with a complex, spicy-aromatic dry spice blend, unlike the Isan version which is typically seasoned with toasted rice powder and lime juice.
Using a stone mortar and pestle is traditional and helps fully extract the oils from the spices, but a spice grinder or food processor can be used as a shortcut.
Flipping the sticky rice halfway through steaming is critical to ensure that both top and bottom layers cook evenly.
Eat the dish traditionally by pinching a small ball of sticky rice with your fingers, flattening it slightly, and using it to scoop up the laab and fresh herbs.
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