PProvenance
Enter
Cooking in
Kamloops · the Thompson–Shuswap
Change
Thai · Chiang Mai, Thailand

Larb (Thai Minced Meat Salad — Naturally Gluten-Free)

Larb — the minced meat salad of Northern Thailand and Laos — is naturally gluten-free: minced meat (pork, chicken, duck, or beef) poached or stir-fried and tossed with lime juice, fish sauce, roasted rice powder, shallots, mint, coriander, and dried red chilli. The defining element is the toasted rice powder (khao kua), made by toasting raw rice in a dry pan until golden, then grinding to a coarse powder. This powder is stirred into the salad and absorbs some of the lime-fish sauce dressing, giving it a slightly earthy, nutty quality and a texture that neither the meat nor the herbs alone could provide. Larb is simultaneously the simplest and most nuanced preparation — the quality of the ingredients and the balance of the dressing determine everything.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
Serves4
Total30 min
Within reach5of 8 in Kamloops

Five in town · one elsewhere in British Columbia · two not yet within reach.

How the 8 are reached
In town
5 · ground pork (or chicken, shallots, garlic, fresh mint, lime juice (Thai Persian limes)
Elsewhere in British Columbia
1 · fresh cilantro
Not yet within reach
2 · thai bird's eye chillies, toasted rice powder (grind jasmine rice in dry pan until tan
Cook
I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

15g
Thai bird's eye chillies
minced
Not yet within reach of Kamloops · each reach is counted
30ml
fish sauce (or tamari for vegan)
Your own market
200g
mixed salad greens (mint
cilantro, lettuce)
Your own market
50g
roasted peanuts
coarsely crushed
Your own market
30g
toasted rice powder (grind jasmine rice in dry pan until tan
then grind finely)
Not yet within reach of Kamloops · each reach is counted
3g
Tellicherry black pepper
Your own market

Within reach counts in town, delivered, shipped and the nearest city. A staple counts once it has a local seller. Charted from each shop's own pages; not yet vouched by a cook who shops here.

The larder of Kamloops →

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Heat 15ml neutral oil in large skillet or wok over high heat until smoking; add ground meat and cook 5 minutes, breaking apart with wooden spoon, until no pink remains.
2
Add shallots, garlic, and bird's eye chillies; stir-fry 2 minutes until fragrant; remove from heat.
3
Stir in lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, mint, and toasted rice powder; toss until evenly combined; taste and balance heat/sourness/salt.
From the canon — Fish sauce — nam pla — is the universal salt of the Thai kitchen. Fish Sauce (Nam Pla): Selection and Use →
4
Place mixed salad greens on serving plate; mound larb in centre; scatter peanuts around edges.
5
Garnish with additional mint and cilantro; serve at room temperature with lime wedges and extra chillies on the side.
III

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. Toast the rice with a kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass stalk — these aromatics infuse the rice with fragrance that persists in the powder For the most authentic Northern Thai version: use pork larb with raw pork (larb moo dip) — this is a traditional preparation and requires impeccable sourcing; consult local regulations regarding raw pork consumption A pinch of ground dried galangal (kha) in the dressing adds the Northern Thai signature note
IV

What to Pour

Pouring for British Columbia · ·

The pairing
Cantillon Gueuze — 100% Lambic Bio
Cantillon Brewery · Belgium — Trappist & Lambic
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wild ale
From British Columbia
1897 Amber Ale
Stanley Park Brewing · Metro Vancouver
Stanley Park Brewing · Vancouver →
Beer
Without alcohol
Placebo - Lemon & Lime Sour
Barberie Brewery
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →

The whole pairing
Pillar V
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year