The original was made with a Laab-Namtok seasoning mix manufactured by Lobo in Thailand and readily available online and in Thai stores in the UK. Its great, but unfortunately it contains MSG which my wife cannot handle without developing headaches, so I've developed my own dried seasoning instead.
Herewith the lesson according to David.......no longer authentic Thai but tasty all the same!
You will need.....
500g min pack Pork mince (I daresay it would work with chicken/ turkey mince also as a laab)
Lime juice - available in big bottle in Thai stores and little bottles in supermarkets - you will need 8 tbsp
Fresh limes - x4
Baby gem lettuce hearts
Fresh Chillies - hot - say about 2 or 3 but to taste
Fresh Coriander - 2 handfuls, including stalks (very finely chopped indeed and discard the very tail end of stalk)
Fresh Mint / Fresh Thai peppermint - big 'ol handful, leaves off the stalks and finely chopped
Palm Sugar - about 1 tbsp to start and then later to taste
Lemon Grass - 3 stalks - very finely sliced after removing the outer hard leaves
Red Onion - 1 large or 2 small-medium - sliced NOT chopped
Light Soy Sauce - about 2 splashes - if using Kikkoman bottles then its two tips
Garlic - I like about 4 cloves of medium size - crushed
Ginger/ Galangal - 4cm section, peeled and very finely chopped or pulped
Spring onion - x3 - chopped quite finely on the diagonal
Nam Pla/ Fish Sauce - 3 tbsp + to taste
Dried Chilli Flakes - 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 1tbsp
Garlic powder = 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Method...
1. Marinate the minced pork packet with about 2 tbsp bottled lime juice (you can use fresh if you prefer)
2. Prepare the dried ingredients mix. Place Dried Chilli flakes, coriander seeds, garlic powder and salt in mortar and grind to fine powder. Set aside.
3. Heat a wide heavy based saute pan (see photo) with a very small dash of sunflower/ Rape seed oil on a medium to high heat and fry off the pork until all the same colour - stir and flip regularly
4. Drain all the fat off the pork - preferably through a sieve and then return to pan on medium heat with 2 splashes lime juice, the garlic, lemon grass and the ginger/ galangal
5. After about 1 min, add the red onion and reduce heat to medium
6. Allow the onion to soften (about 2-3 mins) then add the dried seasoning and mix in well
7. Add in order......Soy, Nam Pla, Palm sugar and fresh chillies, continue to fry for 2 mins
8. Add Chopped Coriander and mint and stir to merge
9. Add Sliced spring onion & stir
Now just keep tasting as the flavours develop. I'd keep on hand the following: Nam Pla, Soy, Palm Sugar, fresh chillies.
10. Place lid on pan and leave to rest for about 5 mins whilst you finish off the lettuce hearts and perhaps rice.
11. Spoon the laab into the lettuce hearts and enjoy, with freshly squeezed lime halves over. (Limes give up more juice if they are rolled firmly on the counter. They give up even more if you put them in the microwave for 10 seconds.)
PS...there is another variation on the method here:
Place the garlic, chillies, ginger/ galangal, lemon grass and fish sauce in the big Mortar and pound away - then add all as one lot. Do the pounding of the garlic, chillies, galangal and lemon grass first, BEFORE you then add the fish sauce!
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