laab / larb nua (lao spicy minced beef)

Larb (Lao: ລາບ, Isan: ลาบ, IPA: [lâːb]; also spelled laap, larp, laab) is a type of Lao meat salad. It is most often made with chicken, beef, duck, turkey, pork or even fish, flavored with fish sauce and lime. The meat can be either raw or cooked; it is minced and mixed with chilli, mint and, optionally, assorted vegetables. Roughly ground toasted rice (kao kua) is also a very important component of the dish. The dish is served at room temperature and usually with a serving of sticky rice. A common variation is neu-ah nam tok (“waterfall beef” but it could mean the dripping of meat juice during the grilling as well), in which beef is cut into thin strips instead of using ground beef.
Larb is the unofficial national dish of Laos and it is also popular in Northeastern Thailand, where the cuisine is heavily influenced by Laos. It is quite common to see this popular Lao meat salad served at Thai restaurants.
There is also a variant from Northern Thailand which does not use lime or fish sauce, but rather other local condiments for flavor and seasoning. “Larb pla” (Thai: ลาบปลา)[1] is one kind of larb which made of minced fish mixed with spices.

I find the best variation is with grilled steak (waterfall laab) careful when adding the chilli, not to hot, but the dish should bring a tear to your eye or it’s not hot enough. no oil is added so this dish is quite healthy & low fat, especially if served with raw cabbage and vegetables. the only cooking is the meat then all the other ingredients are added.

Ingredients

250g minced lean beef.
2 small red onion.
1/2 clove garlic.
bunch fresh mint leaves.
bunch coriander leaves.
fish sauce.
water.
1 1/2 tablespoons ground roast rice.
4 limes.
1/2 or 2 teaspoon ground red chilli.
basil leaves and spring onions can be added to make more flavours.

Recipe

chop all ingredients up, add 1 teaspoon of the lime juice to meat and stir. place 1/2 cup of water in pan and add the meat, stir till the meat is cooked and place in a bowl, add 2 teaspoon of fish sauce, juice from 2 or 3 limes and 1 or 2 tablespoons of ground chilli, taste and adjust to get a salty, sour spicy taste, add the ground rice, coriander and mint leaves and finely chopped garlic, finely sliced red onions and stir. serve room temperature on top of lettuce or cabbage. serve with sticky rice.

Steak Sauce

This Simple quick steak sauce is ideal with beef or chicken.

Marinate meat for 2 hours.

1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon peppercorns

mix in pestle and mortar, add 1 teaspoon worchestshire sauce, 2 teaspoon tomato ketchup, 1 teaspoon honey and mix, spread over meat, fry the meat in non stick pan, when cooked add 1/2 cup water to de glaze pan, thicken with little corn flour.

I made this sauce with local steak, served with saute potatoes, and salad.

Yam Nuea (Thai Beef salad)

Thai spicy beef salad (called tiger cries in Thailand) is great for picnics or eat with sticky rice, or you can use chicken breast also. The taste should be spicy, sour and salty. you can add lettuce if you like or shredded cabbage. use a good quality steak and cook to your liking, in Thailand its mostly served medium.

Ingredients

1 large sirloin or strip steak.
pinch black pepper.
1 large red onion.
1 cucumber.
2 tomato.
3 limes.
tablespoon fish sauce.
1 bunch celery leaves.
2 sticks lemon grass.
1/2 spoon palm sugar.
3 -8 chilli depending on heat.
soy sauce.

Recipe

1 hr before making the dish marinate the steak with the soy sauce and pepper.
grill or fry the steak to your choice, leave to rest, wash the celery leaves and chop up into big pieces, slice the red onion, tomato and cucumber, arrange on a salad plate. in a mortar add chilli, break up, add fish sauce, and lemon juice and mix. add the palm sugar, mix till dissolved, slice the steak and place in a bowl, add the mix to coat the steak, place the steak on the salad and finely chop the lemon grass, sprinkle on top and enjoy.

Beef fried in red curry paste

This simple quick dish can be made with Beef, chicken or Seafood or Tofu. Depending on how much red curry paste you add, depends on the heat. I add some coconut milk to the mix to lessen the spiciness and add more flavour.

Recipe

200g sliced beef.
1 tablespoon red curry paste.
1 small carton or 1 cup coconut milk. (optional)
1 teaspoon palm sugar.
1 dash fish sauce to taste.
6 green eggplant (quartered)(small aubergine) or other vegetable.
handful basil leaves .sliced finely.

Add the curry paste to a wok, add a dash of coconut milk and stir, repeat this several times, till oil appears on top of paste. add the beef, keep stirring till beef fried, add eggplant, stir till soft, top up with coconut milk if getting to dry, add palm sugar and fish sauce, taste should have some sweet and salty. finish with basil leaves and serve. should be quite dry not a wet sauce.
Any left over beef, can be used the next day to make spicy beef fried rice
fry some garlic in a wok with some oil, add more egg plant or vegetable, add the spicy beef till warm, add some cold rice and stir till rice covered, add fresh basil leaves and serve.

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