Name: Larb muang (Thai chopped pork salad)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 300g pork mince; handful of coriander leaves chopped; 2-3 spring onions chopped; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 pork stock cube; steamed sticky rice, jasmine rice or lettuce leaves to serve; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 10 medium dried red chillies; 2 large dried red chillies; 4 garlic cloves chopped; 2 small shallots halved; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp szechuan peppercorns; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ thumb-sized piece of galangal sliced; 1 lemongrass stalk sliced; 500ml vegetable oil; 3 shallots thinly sliced; 1 tbsp cornflour; 5 garlic cloves very thinly sliced

A chopped Thai pork salad on top of leaves

300g pork mince
handful of coriander leaves
chopped
2-3 spring onions
chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 pork stock cube
steamed sticky rice, jasmine rice or lettuce leaves
to serve

CHILLI MIX

2 tbsp vegetable oil
10 medium dried red chillies
2 large dried red chillies
4 garlic cloves
chopped
2 small shallots
halved
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp szechuan peppercorns
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ thumb-sized piece of galangal
sliced
1 lemongrass stalk
sliced

CRISPY SHALLOTS AND GARLIC

500ml vegetable oil
3 shallots
thinly sliced
1 tbsp cornflour
5 garlic cloves
very thinly sliced

Method

step 1
First prepare the chilli mix. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the chillies, garlic, shallots, cumin and coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon, galangal and lemongrass for 3-5 mins until fragrant. Remove from the heat, transfer to a blender or use a pestle and mortar to blend or pound to a coarse paste.
step 2
To prepare the crispy shallots and garlic, heat the oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Toss the shallots in the cornflour until lightly coated then fry for 3-4 mins until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
step 3
Using the same oil, fry the garlic for 2-3 mins until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, reserving 3 tbsp of the garlic frying oil.
step 4
In a large pan or wok, heat the reserved garlic frying oil over a medium heat. Fry the chilli mix for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Add the pork and fry until browned and fully cooked, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Stir in the coriander, spring onions, fish sauce and crumbled stock cube. Mix well and cook for 2 mins.
step 5
Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the crispy shallots and garlic. Serve while hot with steamed sticky rice, jasmine rice or lettuce leaves.