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Larb Laab Larp

tommy
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John Braise

John Braise

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Posted (edited)

The texture would be very different from a pork/beef/chicken larb, but I bet a fish larb would be excellent. That way you could sneak in the fish sauce no problem (an essential ingredient, in my opinion) I'm imagining a poached tilapia or catfish or something, flaked and mixed with the rest of the traditional larb ingerdients...

I might have to try that...

Edited by John Braise (log)
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snowangel

snowangel

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Posted
The texture would be very different from a pork/beef/chicken larb, but I bet a fish larb would be excellent. That way you could sneak in the fish sauce no problem (an essential ingredient, in my opinion) I'm imagining a poached tilapia or catfish or something, flaked and mixed with the rest of the traditional larb ingerdients...

I might have to try that...

I've done it with tuna and with salmon and prefered the tuna. Although there is a very good recipe for a larby dish with salmon in David Thompson's True Thai (where you marinate the salmon and let it dry). While not exactly larb, I make a version with squid, cilantro, lots of hot peppers, lime and nam pla. The only larb disaster was with tempeh (for a vegetarian friend).

Think I've gotta make larb this afternoon. Maybe get some squid next time I'm at the store for the squid salad.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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mamster

mamster

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We had the larblike dish with stir-fried pork in a lemongrass, galangal, and chile paste for dinner the other night. It was good, but it won't put regular larb out of business. A squeeze of lime helped, as it does everything.

Matthew Amster-Burton, aka "mamster"

Author, Hungry Monkey, coming in May

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hillvalley

hillvalley

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Any advice for us Larb making virgins?

Can you do without any of the ingredients?

True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.

It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost,

but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. -Arthur Ashe

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hjshorter

hjshorter

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I used the recipe in Thompson's Thai Food. His recipe uses chili powder, shallots, mint, coriander, chicken, salt, sugar, toasted rice, lime juice and fish sauce. I substituted thai basil (bai horapha) for the mint.

It was good, but next time I am adding fresh chilies instead of powdered, minced garlic, less lime juice and more fish sauce. I'll also use a fattier meat - chicken breasts are too bland for this use.

We didn't feed it to the kids - we will make it again with less mouth-puckering lime juice and try it on them. It was very acidic.

Edit: forgot an ingredient.

Edited by hjshorter (log)

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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snowangel

snowangel

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Larb me up, Scottie!

Heather, check out my recipe on recipeGullet and see how it compares. Did you toast and grind your own rice? I don't really care for mint very much (there's a rather disgusting reason which I won't go into), and as my recipe notes, I often reduce the ground chili and also add thai bird chilis, but I really think it needs some ground chili. And, I think tommy and I both agree that most recipes are not agressive enough with the fish sauce.

And, yes, pork is better. I have had great success with removing some of the grisle from boneless country ribs, and either chop by hand or in the food processor (be careful not to over process). One of the nice things about the boneless country ribs is that I can buy them per piece at the butcher.

And, I love this as a quick lunch with leftover meat that has been cooked rare (the venison version was wonderful).

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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hjshorter

hjshorter

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Susan, I'm trying your recipe next time. Thompson's recipe uses much less chili, no lime leaf, no galangal, no lemon grass, and no scallions. It wasn't nearly spicy enough. I'd also like to try your 1:1 fish sauce lime juice ration. His is 3:1, and waaaay too sour.

And yes, I did toast my own rice. :smile: It makes the kitchen smell really good.

Edited by hjshorter (log)

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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tommy

tommy

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1:1 is definitely the way to go. certainly not 3:1.

but remember, some larb purist will argue that it's not really larb if you start throwing lemongrass and kaffir into the mix. i'm not a purist necessarily, but i agree. that sort of resembles some other dish (granted, a larb-like dish), so i'm not sure i'd call it larb.

tommy:eats.com
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snowangel

snowangel

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but remember, some larb purist will argue that it's not really larb if you start throwing lemongrass and kaffir into the mix. i'm not a purist necessarily, but i agree. that sort of resembles some other dish (granted, a larb-like dish), so i'm not sure i'd call it larb.

Having eaten larb all over Thailand, I could also argue that there is no definitive list of ingredients. My first larb, when I was 8, featured raw pork, something that would make most squeamish. I do believe that most larbs I had as a child and teen did include keefir, but my feeble memory could serve me wrong. This goes back to a problem I have with the word "authentic" -- I don't know that I would call any of the variations of larb I ate in Thailand unathentic, just as I would not call any of the yellow potato salads I have had at a multitude of Minnesota potlucks unathentic. Different from each other, yes.

I do believe that larb is on the menu for our un-Super Bowl appetizer spread tomorrow evening!

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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tommy

tommy

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yeah, i knew that kind of talk would get me in trouble.

but, i will say that i never claimed that one way or the other was authentic, as i'm very aware that i wouldn't know authentic if it ran up and bit me in the larb.

however, most versions i've had at various restaurants in the US seemed to resemble what i'm making, and that's larb without kaffir. so i suppose you could say that i think Thompson's version, which i basically follow, is typical of US larbs, rather than authentic.

it should be noted that i look for an excuse to put kaffir in just about anything. it simply amazes me to this day. i think it's magical.

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
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snowangel

snowangel

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Posted
it should be noted that i look for an excuse to put kaffir in just about anything. it simply amazes me to this day. i think it's magical.

You in trouble? Never, or perhaps always :biggrin:

Yes, kaffir is a magical ingredient. I have a kaffir tree (in the house currently), so have an endless supply. It supplies something that lime doesn't. To me, one of the other magical ingredients (not included in larb) is ginger. The last is Thai basil, which I am working on incorporating into more than just Thai food.

Now, back to larb! Will you have any on your Super Bowl table?

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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snowangel

snowangel

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A couple of years ago, a friend gave me (and herself) a kaffir lime tree. She ordered it from somewhere; I'll ask her where when we talk this week.

Anyway, it sits outside late spring/summer/early fall and comes inside during the cold months.

The tree doesn't have nearly as much smell as you'd think, but does release a little smell when we brush up against or crush a leaf.

I love having it. I don't think I'll ever get fruit off of it, but it's sure handy to have a ready supply of the leaves.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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mrbigjas

mrbigjas

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I don't think I'll ever get fruit off of it, but it's sure handy to have a ready supply of the leaves.

that's all i'm concerned with. :biggrin:

This site sells dwarf citrus trees in pots. When I do my house renovation (someday) I might end up with enough light to actually get one--it's in the plans.

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snowangel

snowangel

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I have duck on the brain lately - duck larb sounds like it might work. Or lamb larb?

I have larbed pork, beef, poultry, lamb, duck (including leftover steak, etc.) and many different kinds of fish and seafood (I prefered a firmer fish than the larbed walleye or sunfish) -- all very successfully. I have also larbed tempeh and tofu (deep fried cubes), and flesh is better (the tofu cubes did not infuse with larbiness. I have not larbed bacon (heresy), so can't comment on that. Come to think of it, I've not larbed a smoked meat of fish.

Any ideas on wine pairings for larb?

I came close to larbing Peter (age 8) the other day, but he apologized and behaved.

So, as we get ready to move and clean out the larder this thread gave me cause to pause -- a larb craving so I did make it up today to my favorite Asian (Thai) market/deli and bought a pound of beef larb for $5.00 for lunch. Washed it down with beer. Beer and larb go really well together.

And, some like a wetter larb, some a drier larb. Some like it more nam-plaey (new word), some more limey. It's all a matter of taste -- that of the taster. When I lived in Thailand, I had all manners of larb, but my favorite was my first. Raw pork, very nam plaey. I was 8 or 9, and fell in love immediately :wub: .

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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snowangel

snowangel

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Report of experiment: hard cooked eggs do not make a good larb. Way too pasty (like larb glue; not good). Three hard cooked eggs trashed in the name of SCIENCE and TASTE and LARB and all to save you the pain.

Long live larb (but not of the hard-cooked egg, tofu or tempeh varieties).

Edit: stupid larb induced typo

Edited by snowangel (log)
Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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snowangel

snowangel

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After 18 years in a fully larbisized house (made many, many batches of larb of all varieties of protein products in the Old House), we have moved.

Moving day was just about 3 weeks ago, and I made my first larb in the New House today (leftover venison steak, grilled very rare). It was very yummy, and reminded me that it is larb season, once again. But then again, what season is not larb season?

I just know that my New House is happy it has been larbisized.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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