THAI MINCED PORK RECIPE (LAAB NAMTOK)

Larb nam tok is a dish from the north-eastern part of Thailand, commonly known as Issan. The word namtok literally translates into waterfall, which supposedly refers to the water (or liquid) in the pork that bead out while cooking it. It is a similar recipe to Som Tam (Thai papaya salad).

In fact the two recipes accompany each other regularly in a Thai’s regular diet, along with a serving of sticky (glutinous) rice. Laab namtok is a Thai salad, but it’s not a vegetable salad, instead it’s a meat salad.

You can substitute the pork with beef, fish, or tofu, or mushrooms. Either way you will a wonderfully aromatic and moreish Thai salad.

The minced pork is wonderfully seasoned with fish sauce, chili flakes, lime juice, toasted sticky rice to give it some crunchy texture, and a wonderful assortment of fresh herbs to bring it all together.

The tasty legend of Laab was taken to Bangkok by the people of E-san (Northeastern provinces near the Mekong River). The blend of ethnic herbs and lime juice makes this dish tangy and very refreshing. It is a common place that Laab-Namtok is served with steamed sticky rice ('kao neow') in bamboo baskets This is a quick and easy way to prepare this North-Eastern Thai salad.