Herby Pork Laab With Chile Recipe • 5★

Updated May 29, 2025

Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sarah Jampel.

In this take on the classic Thai dish laab (also spelled larb) moo, ground pork is pan-cooked, then stirred together with a combination of funky fish sauce, fresh and dried chiles, shallots, lime juice and an abundance of fresh herbs for brightness. If you don't eat pork, ground chicken or turkey will work well in its place. Making the toasted rice powder is a little fussy, but it gives the dish an authentic nutty flavor and crunch. That said, if you skip it, it will still be delicious. If you have the time, top this dish with crispy shallots: It takes the whole thing to the next level, as does a flurry of chive blossoms when in season. Serve this spicy dish with sticky rice, and grilled or roasted wedges of cabbage squeezed with lime, but for a low-key weeknight, plain white rice and lettuce leaves work just as well.

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3 tablespoons jasmine rice

1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rounds (about 1 scant cup)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ cup lime juice from about 2 to 3 limes, plus more for serving (optional)

1 bird’s eye chile, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

3 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup torn mint leaves

½ cup roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems

1 pound ground pork

Step 1In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the rice, stirring frequently, until it starts to smell nutty and turns golden in color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder and allow to cool for a minute or two. Grind or pulse the rice until it has a powderlike consistency. You should have about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons. Set aside and wipe out the pan.

In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the rice, stirring frequently, until it starts to smell nutty and turns golden in color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder and allow to cool for a minute or two. Grind or pulse the rice until it has a powderlike consistency. You should have about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons. Set aside and wipe out the pan.

Step 2In a large bowl, whisk together shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, bird’s eye chile, chile flakes, half the scallions, half the mint and half the cilantro. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, bird’s eye chile, chile flakes, half the scallions, half the mint and half the cilantro. Set aside.

Step 3Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add pork, breaking meat apart with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until meat is no longer pink, but not browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add pork, breaking meat apart with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until meat is no longer pink, but not browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 4Remove pork from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the bowl with the chile-herb mixture, add the rice powder and stir together until combined. Season with kosher salt to taste.

Remove pork from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the bowl with the chile-herb mixture, add the rice powder and stir together until combined. Season with kosher salt to taste.

Step 5Top with remaining herbs and serve. Season with flaky salt and an extra squeeze of lime, if desired.

Top with remaining herbs and serve. Season with flaky salt and an extra squeeze of lime, if desired.

Vietnamese food also uses rice powder, ground from toasted uncooked rice, called "thinh". You can get it in small packets in Asian markets, usually located near the spices and the various starches, like tapioca and rice flour. For crispy fried shallots,Trader Joe's sells containers of "fried onions" that tastes just like it. Saves time without foregoing taste or authenticity.

While I was living in Indonesia I learned from my cook to fry dried onion flakes (the kind you find in jars in the spice section) instead of fresh shallots. This yields a toasty brown and crunchy result in seconds and is much less oily than the fresh shallots, which catch oil in all their nooks and crannies. Tastes delicious too.

Loved this recipe! The lime levels are perfect. I added chopped peanuts to it which gave it a nice crunch. Would definitely recommend doing a super fine grind on the rice.

COOK THIS NOW.

Man, this is like a party in your mouth! Made it as per the recipe, and I will definitely make it again. Thank you.

Didn’t have any ground meat, so used a box grater to grate some tofu (a trick I learned on a NYT recipe) and lightly browned it in a pan. Too lazy for the toasted rice so did peanuts as others suggested. Didn’t have mint so doubled the cilantro! Delicious!!! Don’t forget the salt - if it tastes a little flat at the end, the salt really brings it to life.

My household LOVED this recipe! I subbed ground turkey for the pork and it came out great. The flavorful marinade brings a lot of moisture, so it’s a great recipe for meats like turkey that can be a little dry otherwise. We liked it even better the next day after the flavors melded. This is also a great option for meal prepping lunches, just add some lettuce to make wraps.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019406-herby-pork-laab-with-chile