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Home » Asian » Hmong Larb

Hmong Larb

By Hank Shaw on August 13, 2020, Updated January 22, 2021 - 15 Comments

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4.94 from 15 votes
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Hmong larb on lettuce wraps
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Larb is not unlike Latin American ceviche in that they are both meat (or fish) salads, and that there are versions of it that change from country to country, cook to cook.

Whether the meat is ground or chopped, cooked or raw all depends on who’s making the larb, which you will also see spelled laap, larp or lahb. The dish is, as you might imagine from those other spellings, pronounced more or less like “lap,” although to my ears it’s more like “lop.”

Larb is a common appetizer in Southeast Asia, and my rendition of it happens to be Hmong. We have a fair number of Hmong immigrants here in Northern California, and if you are unfamiliar with this group, know that they fought on our side in the Vietnam War, and after Saigon fell in the 1970s, we allowed thousands of them to migrate here.

In general terms, Hmong food is more rustic than Vietnamese, which makes sense given that they were a rural people. The Hmong also tend to be very good hunters. Knowing this, I was happy to see lots of wild game recipes in the fantastic cookbook Cooking from the Heart: The Hmong Kitchen in America, by Shen Yang, who happens to live here in Sacramento.

This larb recipe is an amalgam of several Hmong recipes: from Yang’s book, my own experiences here in Sacramento, as well as a few other online recipes.

Most of the ingredients are in your local supermarket, except for galangal, a cousin of ginger you can easily find in an Asian market. Use ginger if you can’t find galangal. Larb is really best served fresh, although it will keep a day or so in the fridge.

I used ground javelina that was pretty lean, and you should try to find lean ground meat for your version. A good supermarket alternative would be very lean ground beef, like 10 percent fat or less. This is a great use for 100 percent ground venison, too.

There is one unusual cooking technique for good larb, and that is the ground, toasted rice. It provides a little crunch and heft to an otherwise light salad. Don’t skip it if you can help it, because the ground rice is an integral part of what makes larb larb.

Hmong larb recipe
Print Recipe
4.94 from 15 votes

Hmong Ground Pork Larb

This recipe can be made with any lean ground meat.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Course: Appetizer, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 285kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup jasmine rice
  • 3/4 pound lean ground pork
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced galangal or ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Zest and juice of a lime
  • 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass (optional)
  • 1 to 4 small hot chiles, like Thai, sliced thin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1 cup chopped rau ram or cilantro
  • 1/3 cup chopped mint
  • 1 cup diced cucumber
  • Lettuce for wraps
  • Sesame oil, for garnish

Instructions

  • Toast the rice in a dry skillet until it turns tan. Grind coarsely in a spice grinder and set aside.
  • Saute the ground meat in a frying pan without added oil until it has browned nicely, about 5 minutes, remove from the pan to cool while you chop the vegetables and herbs.
  • When you are ready to make the salad, toss all the ingredients together, and serve in lettuce wraps. I like a little drizzle of sesame oil on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1051mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Asian, Featured, Recipe, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for MattMatt says

    December 29, 2020 at 11:07 am

    Whenever we get take out from the local Thai place we get some Laarb. The flavor profile is so unique. Being served on lettuce wraps makes a refreshing light treat as one stuffs their face with potentially spicy meat. My mother also made a version while I was growing up with a hoisin sauce. I decided to set forth and make it myself.

    Now, I am making it monthly making slightly different adjustments every time depending on what I have on hand. The first time without the toasted rice, the second time with. It is better with. Today’s version I’ll add Thai chili flakes. Hopefully, I’ll eventually master this recipe and finally achieve a better laarb than my local Thai place makes.

    Thanks Hank for this great recipe.

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Brooke pBrooke p says

    September 14, 2020 at 8:13 am

    This recipe is amazing! I have made it twice in two days. My very picky husband ate every bite, and went and got seconds! We made a few small changes due to dietary restrictions. I sub ed toasted coconut finely chopped for the rice, and we used coconut amines for the fish sauce. Not really traditional anymore, but so good! My son asked to add chopped shrimp to the pork next time. Happy eating g!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Denise WillsDenise Wills says

    August 23, 2020 at 9:52 am

    This dish is just ridiculously delicious.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for EdEd says

    August 22, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    Great warm weather recipe! I used ground pork and drained the excess fat before making the salad. I thought the toasted jasmine rice was a critical part of the dish. It added a lot of flavor and texture. I would grind it a little finer next time.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for CornellCornell says

    August 20, 2020 at 11:03 pm

    This one turned out great with mule deer trim meat. Easy to prep and perfect for hit summer nights.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for giancarlo cenciarinigiancarlo cenciarini says

    August 18, 2020 at 7:37 pm

    Super. Hank,tu sei il piu grande. Can I recommend you cassoeula,a milan specialtry with pork rinds,sausages salami,pork feet skin,hears,and cabbage.,pancetta.It is servide with polenta or quinoa. Cheers from Vancouver Island.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for VyVy says

    August 18, 2020 at 6:25 pm

    Super delicious! It was too hot and I was too lazy to grind the rice powder so I bought it at the Asian grocer. It’s called Khua Khao which is the Thai coarse variety and Thinh Saigon which is the fine powder.

    Reply
  8. Avatar for Alli BeyAlli Bey says

    August 18, 2020 at 12:50 pm

    Made this for the first time last night, I was looking for a something to do with a pound of ground lamb I had in the fridge. This is a simple and quick mea, perfect for a last minute weeknight meal. The Family loved it! However, I received a lot of negative feedback from my 12 year old twin boys on the texture of the toasted rice. I told them once their palate matures they will appreciate it!

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Bonnie WareBonnie Ware says

    August 17, 2020 at 7:13 am

    This dish is a the definition of a flavor bomb. We enjoyed it as a light Sunday supper (it’s hot in South Texas!). Light, yet filling. Balanced. Refreshing. Memorable. Delicious doesn’t begin to do justice to the recipe.

    I’m curious about the toasted and ground rice. It brought great texture to the dish, is that its only purpose? I wouldn’t leave it out – it just seemed right that it was there. I’m asking because I might’ve overground it, fearing it’d be too crunchy. Of course, I may have not prepared it properly, and I am all about getting it right. This dish is simply too delicious to have a question mark.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      August 17, 2020 at 8:42 am

      Bonnie: So glad you liked the recipe! As for the rice, I am honestly not sure. I know it adds good texture, but it could also add a little nutritional heft to the dish while keeping it light. I’ll ask some of my Hmong friends.

      Reply
      • Avatar for Bonnie WareBonnie Ware says

        August 24, 2020 at 6:48 am

        Because I’m the curious type, I spoke with a few of my Asian friends about the powdered rice and the general consensus is that it’s added for texture. They also told me that the toasted ground rice is available at most Asian markets in the spice section because it’s a staple in many recipes such as this because it draws watery wetness away from the dish while maintaining a moist texture.

        You can bet we’ll be making this dish again and again, experimenting with different types of mince. We had a tiny bit left over which we snacked on a few days later. The leftovers were divine!

  10. Avatar for NickNick says

    August 14, 2020 at 9:51 am

    This recipe is a staple in my house. One of the first ways I convinced my wife that venison was delicious. And something she requests regularly. Highly recommend!

    Reply
  11. Avatar for April GoettleApril Goettle says

    August 13, 2020 at 7:16 am

    Larb is one of my favorite comfort foods. I like to throw some basil in there if I have it. Most other online recipes for this break it down into a million steps, I like that this is short and sweet!

    Reply
    • Avatar for LindaLinda says

      August 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      You don’t add the ground rice back to the meat while it’s cooking? I think I’ve seen larb made that way as well. 🙂 Larb is nice during this hot weather.

      Reply
      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        August 13, 2020 at 1:41 pm

        Linda: No, I add it when I toss the salad. But that seems like it would be every bit as good!

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