Recipe: Pork Larb (Asian)

PORK LARB

3 tablespoons raw sticky rice*
1 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 (1-inch) piece galangal, peeled and minced**
2 tablespoons lime juice with pulp
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce***
1 teaspoon pure chile powder (not chili powder, which contains cumin and other ingredients)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
hot cooked white rice (for serving)

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add sticky rice and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a spice or coffee grinder or mortar; grind or pound into a coarse powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix pork, shallots, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce and chile powder until well combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add pork mixture. Cook pork mixture, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until pork is cooked through.

Add cilantro, green onions and toasted rice powder. Mix well; cook 1 minute longer until heated through.

Serve with white rice.

*Sticky rice is also known as sweet rice or glutenous rice and is available at Asian markets.

**Galangal is similar to ginger and also available at Asian markets; ginger can be substituted if necessary.

***Fish sauce also is available at Asian markets.

Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from source: Introduction To Asian Cooking by Kristin Enkvetchakul