Vibrant Larb Moo

The wooden spoon slipped right out of my hand and splashed grease onto the stove dial. I’m still not used to how fast ground pork renders down when the skillet gets hot enough.

Getting dinner on the table on a Tuesday night usually means grabbing whatever is in the pantry and hoping for the best. Larb Moo brings a sharp, bright heat to the table that wakes up an ordinary weeknight.

It’s a dish that relies on fresh lime and toasted grains rather than heavy sauces. You’ll find yourself making it again once you see how fast it comes together.

Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Total: 30 minutes · Serves: 4

How do you make traditional Larb Moo at home? You cook ground pork with salt until it breaks down, then dress it off the heat with fresh lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, and toasted sticky rice powder for texture.

Finish the dish with crisp raw shallots, scallions, and chili flakes before serving it warm.

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The Ingredient List

• 1 lb ground pork
• 3 tablespoons uncooked Thai sticky rice
• 3 small shallots, sliced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Thai chili flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• Juice of 3 limes
• Salt, for seasoning

Picking the Right Ingredients

The most important element here is the sticky rice, which you toast and grind into a powder. Neither of the recipes I worked from gives a specific grinding method, so I use a mortar and pestle until it looks coarse and sandy.

You want to watch the rice closely as it toasts because it turns from golden to burnt very fast.

Thai shallots are closer to the size of grapes, so if you use larger Western shallots from the store, you’ll want to scale them down by eye so they don’t overpower the pork. The fish sauce brings a deep savory saltiness that ties the citrus and sugar together.

Using fresh limes is non-negotiable because bottled juice loses that sharp brightness.

Palm sugar rounds out the acidity without making the dish taste sweet. It acts purely as a balancer for the tart lime juice and the spicy chili flakes.

Ground chicken also works if you prefer poultry over pork, though pork is what both classic sources use.

How I Make It

1. Toast the rice. Toast the sticky rice dry, on medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown, then grind it in a mortar and pestle to a powder.
2. Cook the pork. Cook the mince on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, seasoning with salt as it goes, until the meat is cooked through and broken into fine pieces.
3. Mix the dressing. Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, and Thai chili flakes together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves completely into the liquids.
4. Combine everything. Add the cooked pork, the toasted rice powder, the sliced shallots, and the scallions to the bowl, tossing everything together off the heat until the dressing coats the meat.

How to Store It

Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Because of the raw shallots and scallions, the texture changes quite a bit as it sits, so it’s best eaten fresh.

I don’t recommend freezing this dish since the lime juice and fresh herbs do not hold up well to thawing.

More Family Favorites

• Beef Enchiladas with Chili Gravy
• Classic Baked Ziti
• Classic Beef Chili
• Classic Beef Stew
• Classic Cottage Pie
• Classic Ground Beef Tacos
• Classic Meatloaf with Brown Sugar Glaze
• Classic Pot Roast
• Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Classic Stuffed Peppers

Vibrant Larb Moo

Recipe by Daisy MerrittCourse: DinnerCuisine: American

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork

• 3 tablespoons uncooked Thai sticky rice

• 3 small shallots, sliced

• 2 scallions, sliced

• 1 tablespoon Thai chili flakes

• 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• Juice of 3 limes

• Salt, for seasoning

Directions

• Toast the rice. Toast the sticky rice dry, on medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown, then grind it in a mortar and pestle to a powder.
• Cook the pork. Cook the mince on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, seasoning with salt as it goes, until the meat is cooked through and broken into fine pieces.
• Mix the dressing. Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, and Thai chili flakes together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves completely into the liquids.
• Combine everything. Add the cooked pork, the toasted rice powder, the sliced shallots, and the scallions to the bowl, tossing everything together off the heat until the dressing coats the meat.