Laab Moo (Thai Ground Pork Salad)

I don't know if this qualifies as salad. It does involve cooking (the pork.) And majority portion of the dish is the pork. And we normally eat it warm with rice and/or other fresh vegetables (like cabbages and cucumbers.) But once you have all the ingredients together, all you have to do is toss everything together.

Don't let the cooked pork and "warm" salad fool you though. This dish is refreshing (from mint and lime) and filling at the same time.



Laab with cooked jasmine rice.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground pork


• 1 tablespoon uncooked rice


• 1 bunch of fresh mint - picked for leaves


• 1 lime


• 1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper


• Fish sauce

Directions

1. In a large non-stick pan, toast a tablespoon of rice until it start to brown slightly. Let cool a little then transfer to a spice grinder (I used clean coffee grinder) and grind for 5 to 10 seconds.


2. Cook the pork on the stove top on that same non-stick pan without any added oil or seasoning. Stir occasionally.


3. When the pork is thoroughly cooked, transfer into a large salad bowl. Add ground toasted rice, mint leaves, lime juice, dried pepper and fish sauce.