Celebrating with Good Fortune Lao Beef Salad {Larb}

This past weekend, my family celebrated our Lao New Year.  As with ALL celebrations in my household, home-cooked food was the star of the evening.  As a symbolic gesture of prosperity, my mom made her famous Lao beef salad, otherwise known as larb (also spelled & pronounced laab and rhymes with the automaker Saab, get it?)  Should the country of Laos have a national dish, larb would definitely be the one b/c by definition, larb means good fortune, so oftentimes, you may hear of it referred to as the 'good fortune salad.' 

There's many variations on this dish and you can certainly prepare it with minced chicken, pork, fish or even rare steak, but my mom chose grilled beef this time around.  And since I will jump at any opportunity to take my tastebuds out for a joy ride, this dish ranks among my favorite and immediately stirs up images of piping hot sticky rice cooked in traditional bamboo steamers ready to take a dip in a savory salad of minced beef loaded with the tanginess of lime, spiciness of red Thai bird chilis, freshness of mint/cilantro/kaffir lime leaves and nuttiness of toasted rice powder.  Oh, and did I mention that larb is also best eaten with your personal tongs (and by that, I'm talking about your itty bitty fingers, folks).  Use the ball of sticky rice to scoop it up in one mouthful and trust me, your host/esses will be so impressed with you, your odds of getting invited back for another home-cooked meal will have increased substantially.  Well, okay--it would definitely be the case in my house, but hey, I'm also quite easy to impress. 

So, let's get 'grubbin!

Lao Beef {Larb} Salad Recipe:
Feeds 4-5 adults with inflatable bellies or 1 of me..haha! J/K. But really, if you're going to make larb, you better invite some friends, food bloggers, co-workers or the dorky guy in the next cubicle over b/c it's no fun eating alone.   

1-1/2 pounds lean beef steak or sirloin (extra lean is even better)

1 teaspoon salt
2 tbs toasted sticky rice powder
5-8 sprigs of cilantro, coarsely chopped (and 3 more sprigs reserved for garnish)
1/4 cup of bean sprouts (for garnish)
2 green onions, finely chopped
5-8 sprigs of mint, coarsely chopped (and 3 more sprigs reserved for garnish)
5 kaffir limes leaves, finely chopped or minced
5-8 sprigs of Vietnamese coriander
2 slices of galanga, minced
1/2 stalks lemongrass, outer peel removed, trimmed, and minced
2-6 Thai bird chili peppers, thinly sliced (remember, you control the heat intensity)
1 tsp of red pepper, dried & crushed
2-4 tbs fish sauce (measure according to taste)
1 large lime, juiced

And if you're feeling adventurous and authentic, add in:
1-2 tbs of fermented fish sauce (padek sauce or Laotian ambrosia in my home :)
1/4 cup of beef tripe, cooked & thinly sliced

Cooking the Beef:
1.Grill beef for 6-7 minutes on medium heat/flame OR until it is medium to almost well-done. Transfer meat to a cutting board and and let rest for about 5-10 minutes to seal in the juices.  Never cut into meat right after you cook it b/c you'll lose all the natural juices.
2. Thinly slice the beef, making sure you're against the grain
3. Finely chop or mince the beef and then...

Mixing the Larb:
4. Add in the toasted rice powder, herbs and spices, crushed dried red pepper,{fermented} fish sauce and lime juice.
5. Toss the salad and season well according to your personal taste.  Experiment with adding more (or less) of any ingredient to accomodate your tastebuds.  Remember, the flavor combo you're seeking is: spicy/tangy/salty/YUMMERS!

Garnish:
Of course with any culinary creations, you want to feast with your eyes first, so top your salad with fresh cilantro, mint and bean sprouts.

Grub:
The dish is best eaten with a cheesy smile alongside other foodies, warm sticky rice, green Thai eggplants, crispy cucumbers, lettuce and/or Chinese long green beans.

And some images from Lao New Year at the temple.