Larb Moo

Place raw rice in a dry wok or small heavy pan over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon or shake the pan constantly for 5–8 minutes until every grain has turned a deep golden-brown — the colour of a perfect wood-fired crouton. The rice will smell nutty, toasty, and faintly smoky. Allow to cool, then pound in a mortar or pulse in a spice grinder until you have a coarse powder — not fine flour, but irregular gritty crumbs the size of coarse sea salt. This toasted rice powder (khao khua) is what makes larb larb: it absorbs the dressing, thickens it slightly, and adds a nutty, slightly bitter back-note to every bite.

Place the minced pork in a cold wok or wide pan — do not add oil, the pork fat will render. Set over medium-high heat and cook, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon, for 4–5 minutes. You want the pork cooked through with some slight caramelisation around the edges — not a steamed grey mass and not a dry, hard crumble. Remove from heat as soon as the pork is just cooked. Transfer immediately to a large mixing bowl. The pork should still be steaming hot when you dress it — the heat blooms the herbs and opens up the lime.

Working quickly while the pork is still very hot, add lime juice, fish sauce, and toasted chili flakes to the bowl. Toss aggressively — the acidity of the lime will stop the carryover cooking. Taste immediately: the dressing should be aggressively sour and salty with a chili hit at the back. Larb is intentionally bold — if it seems too intense in the bowl, it will balance beautifully when eaten with plain rice and fresh vegetables. Adjust: more lime for sour, more fish sauce for savoury depth, more chili for heat.

Add the toasted rice powder, sliced shallots, mint leaves (torn if large), sawtooth coriander, and lemongrass to the dressed pork. Toss gently but thoroughly, distributing all the herbs and powder evenly through the meat. The khao khua will immediately begin absorbing the dressing and thickening it slightly. Taste one more time and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately on a plate or in a shallow bowl with the cabbage wedges and cucumber slices on the side — these are not garnish, they are structural: you use them to scoop the larb and cool the heat.