Laab Moo Lao (Lao Minced Pork Salad)
What is laab moo | Lao pork salad?
Since laab is the national dish of Laos, laab moo, a popular variation, is made with pork meat, pork belly, and essential Lao ingredients such as galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, mint leaves, and roasted sticky rice powder. Like most types of laab, every part of the animal is used in the dish. For traditional pork laab, you will also find pork liver and skin included. Laab is typically enjoyed with sticky rice, fresh greens, and a soup made from the bones of the protein used.
Why is laab moo | Lao pork salad important in Laos?
Laab means "luck" in Lao, and the dish symbolizes good fortune and prosperity. It is a staple at Lao weddings, birthdays, ceremonies, and community gatherings. In many Lao families living in small villages outside large cities, meat is scarce, and livestock is limited. Therefore, when animals are butchered and made into laab, it is typically reserved for special occasions.
What pork cut should be used?
For this laab, I used pork leg meat with the skin on, which I found at an Asian grocery store that offers a variety of meat cuts. If you only have access to a standard grocery store, I recommend using pork loin and adding pork belly for extra fat and flavor. When making this type of Lao meat salad, consider the different textures you can incorporate. If you're feeling adventurous, try adding thin slices of liver and skin for additional variety.
What sets the laab apart from other variations?
Pork is usually fattier than other proteins, making this type of laab especially flavorful without the need for extra oil. One of my favorite aspects of pork laab is frying the pork skin in its own fat until it becomes crispy, then tossing it into the laab. To ensure the dish stays moist, I added some water, as pork leg can be a lean cut.
What’s the best way to cook laab moo | Lao pork salad?
The best way to cook the protein for laab is by grilling to achieve that extra char. I prefer using thick slices of pork instead of ground pork, as this allows you to choose the desired texture. In this recipe, the pork is baked for thirty minutes, then broiled to add color, and finally thinly sliced.
What is the toasted sticky rice powder?
Toasted sticky rice powder is essential to laab, providing toasty and nutty flavors while also thickening the liquids to create a moister dish. You can make it by roasting dry, uncooked sticky rice in a pan until golden brown—though I recommend doing this outside as it can get smoky. Alternatively, you can use my very own Lao Laab Seasoning from Lao Spices, which includes roasted sticky rice powder along with galangal, lime leaves, and lemongrass for added flavor.
What is Lao Spices?
Lao Spices is a brand I created to make preparing Lao food faster and easier. One of our products is a Lao Laab spice blend, which includes toasted rice powder and other spices. Traditionally, you would need to toast rice and grind it into a powder using a mortar and pestle. This blend simplifies the process, reducing Laab preparation time to just a few minutes. The blend has a low spice level, allowing you to adjust the heat to your preference by adding extra chili flakes. It is popular for use with ground chicken, ground pork, tofu, duck, or even leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Is it pronounced “laab” or larb”?
The correct pronunciation of "laab" does not include an "r" sound. Since laab made its way to the West, people have often mispronounced it as "larb" due to the British romanization of the word when it was used in the Thai language. This incorrect pronunciation has become so widespread that it even appeared in popular movies like "Spider-Man: Homecoming," perpetuating the mistake. I am passionate about people pronouncing our national dish correctly, so I created a viral campaign called #notlarb to encourage learning the correct pronunciation and understanding the origins of laab, which is from Laos. Please help me spread the correct way to pronounce laab.
How is the baci ceremony and laab interconnected?
The baci ceremony is a traditional Lao custom passed down for centuries, designed to bring back the 32 souls to help align the mind and body. This community tradition is typically practiced during important life events such as marriages, births, deaths, and visits from special guests. A respected elder performs various chants throughout the ceremony, calling the souls back to the 32 organs believed in by the Lao people. Participants tie white strings around each other's wrists while blessings are chanted, wishing for good health and more. After the ceremony, laab is one of the main dishes served, symbolizing luck and prosperity. Everyone enjoys laab, sticky rice, greens, and soup together.
Tips & Tricks in making the best laab moo | Lao pork salad
Here are some extra steps and suggestions to make your laab moo delicious:
If possible, source your meats from butchers to ensure they are extra fresh, and get your produce from farmers markets, as local vegetables and herbs significantly enhance the flavors.
Keep some extra bird's eye chili peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce on the side to enjoy the laab as a lettuce wrap.
Be sure to use the juices released during roasting in the laab for additional flavor, mixing them in with the wet ingredients.
Foods that pair with laab
In Laos, Laab is traditionally eaten with sticky rice. It is typically served with fresh herbs such as long beans, cabbage, lettuce, sawtooth coriander, and additional chiles.
Storing and Reheating Laab Moo
Most laab dishes should be eaten immediately or on the same day, as the fresh herbs tend to wilt by the next day. I prefer laab at room temperature, paired with warm sticky rice. If you have leftover laab, you can enjoy it the next day. I recommend storing the fresh herbs separately and adding them to the leftover laab just before eating to maintain their freshness.
The difference between laab in Laos and larb Thailand
Thai cuisine and Lao cuisine can sometimes be similar for the untrained tastebuds especially when it comes to the laab. Though Laab from Thailand and Laos may look similar, their flavors are quite different. Thai Laab is lighter and sweeter, much like their papaya salad, and it does not include padaek (Lao unfiltered fish sauce). On the other hand, Lao Laab has a unique taste because it does not contain sugar and is rich with funky flavors from the padaek and very spicy. Additionally, Lao Laab often includes various parts of the animal, such as tripe, innards, liver, and more.
Have you noticed these differences? Are there any other distinctions you're aware of?
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