Book of Days Tales

Today is Lao National Day (the /s/ in Laos is silent). The public holiday marks the end of the Laotian civil war in 1975 which had continued alongside, and in conjunction with, the Cambodian civil war and the Vietnam War since 1959.  The monarchy was abolished and replaced with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Lao cuisine is both similar to and distinct from other Southeast Asian cuisines as the people of Cambodia and Thailand have influenced one another through migration. The Lao originally came from the north in a region that is now part of China. As they moved southward, they brought their traditions with them. The staple food of the Lao is steamed sticky rice, which is eaten with the  hands. In fact, the Lao eat more sticky rice than any other people in the world. Sticky rice is considered the essence of what it means to be Lao — sometimes the Lao even refer to themselves as “Luk Khao Niaow”, which can be translated as “children of sticky rice.” Galangal, lemongrass, phak phaew,and padaek (Lao fish sauce) are important ingredients.

The most famous Lao dish is larb also spelled laap, lahb, or laab, a spicy mixture of marinated meat or fish with a variable combination of herbs, greens, and spices. Without the right seasonings you cannot reproduce larb at home, but they are not absolutely impossible to find in the West as long as you have a decent Vietnamese grocery store available (as I did in New York).  You can substitute any really hot chile, such as scotch bonnet, for the birdseye chiles.  Phak phaew is also known as Vietnamese mint or Vietnamese coriander (not to be confused with Thai basil – although this might work as a substitute). 

Larb can be made with a variety of meats (beef, pork, chicken), or fish.  Sometimes it is made using marinated raw fish like ceviche (and there are also versions with raw meat).  It is often served with ground meat cooked briefly in a wok. My recipe uses tripe (because of my obsession), but you can simply double the amount of beef if you prefer.  To make the rice powder, toast sticky rice in a wok or heavy skillet until it is golden brown and then pound it in a mortar or grind it in a food processor. Larb is always served with sticky rice and usually with sliced fresh vegetables and/or bean sprouts.  The latter can be seasoned with fish sauce and hot peppers, which should be available at the table along with lime wedges.  You may also add extra seasonings to taste to the larb at the table.  To eat larb, take a portion of sticky rice in the first two fingers of your right hand and then pick up some larb (and vegetables), also with the right hand, on top of it.

Beef and Tripe Larb

Ingredients

½ lb/250 gm piece beef fillet
½ lb/250 gm cooked tripe, thinly sliced
2 tsp thinly sliced red birdseye chiles
2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
½ cup ground toasted sticky rice
1 tbsp very finely sliced kaffir lime leaves
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp shredded phak phaew

Marinade

2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rich chicken stock
1 tbsp finely chopped galangal
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp padaek (fermented fish sauce)

Instructions

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Put the beef, tripe, and marinade in a zip top bag and close the top except for a small hole.  Carefully squeeze out all the air and then completely seal the bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer. It can marinate overnight if you prefer.

Cook the beef on a charcoal grill, until it reaches the desired stage.  Medium-rare is most common in Laos. Grill the tripe to heat it through and cook the marinade.

Slice the beef very thin and toss it in a bowl with the remaining larb ingredients including the grilled tripe.  Season to taste with padaek, fish sauce, and lime juice.

Serve with raw vegetables, chiles, mint, and sticky rice.

Serves 4