© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Real Thai: The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking prepared by Nancie McDermott, San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 1992. p.126. Some adjustments made by Samart Srijumnong
The picture to the left is Laab Moo at a the Lek restaurant in Koh Samui, Thailand. After a few days of eating "farang-style "Thai food" on the strip in Chaweng Beach, I was craving authentic Thai food. We had a discussion with a security guard and cab driver at the resort — We asked them where they would go for dinner — The cab driver took us to Lek Restaurant. It was the real thing! I ordered larb moo "spicy", but I think the staff in the restaurant were afraid to hurt me. I was served the larb with prik pon served on the side, to taste. | |
Eoy wasn't afraid. She took the liberty of spicing the larb with prik pon. | |
i | The larb was served with fresh vegetables, cucumber, wing beans, long beans, and "cham-wuan" (this is what Eoy called the leaves). I wrapped the larb moo in the leaves. |
In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the stock to a boil. Add the meat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing often with a large spoon to break up the meat and cook it to fairly evenly. When the meat is cooked, remove the pan from the heat.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a medium bowl, leaving most the of the liquid behind. Stir in the shallot, green onion, cilantro, and most of the mint, reserving a few leaves for a garnish. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, rice powder, chilli, and sugar (if preferred); stir to combine everything well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed for a pleasing balance of sour, salty, and hot.
Line a serving platter with lettuce leaves and mound meat mixture in the center. Garnish with the cabbage, green bean, and mint. Serve at once.