Recipe excerpted from East Bay Cooks by Carolyn Jung.
Belcampo, the East Bay–based vertically integrated organic and sustainable meat producer, processor, retail butcher and restaurant operator that also has a location at the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur.
While this traditional Laotian dish is typically made with ground chicken, beef or pork, Belcampo swaps that for lamb, which has a more assertive presence. The spicy meat mixture is mounded on lettuce cups for a perfect finger-food appetizer. Or add steamed sticky rice and a marinated cucumber salad to make this the centerpiece of a family-style meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons glutinous (sticky) rice
- 1 tablespoon rice bran oil or grapeseed oil
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 3 small shallots, finely chopped
- 3 red Thai chiles, sliced diagonally (divided)
- 1 tablespoon togarashi (Japanese chili powder)
- 6 tablespoon yuzu juice
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon grated palm sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1 small bunch mint, leaves only, sliced
- ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
- 1 scallion, sliced diagonally (divided)
- Butter lettuce leaves, to serve
Preparation
In a small frying pan set over medium heat, toast rice for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool. Using a pestle and mortar, grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
Heat oil in a cast-iron frying pan over high heat, until it barely begins to smoke. Add lamb and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom is crisp. Using a spatula, break up the meat, add shallots and half of the Thai chiles and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn heat down to low.
Stir in togarashi and the ground glutinous rice and cook for 30 seconds. Add yuzu juice, fish sauce and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add mint, cilantro and half the scallions.
About this recipe
TO SERVE AND EAT
Arrange lettuce leaves on one side of a serving plate and spoon lamb larb mixture onto the other side. Arrange remaining chiles and scallions off to the side of the plate. Spoon lamb larb onto a lettuce leaf, garnish to taste with chiles and scallions, fold up and enjoy.
