beef laab
top sirloin, bbq, then thinly sliced cross-grain
lime juice
fish sauce
red onion, thinly sliced, longwise
shallots, thinly sliced, crosswise
chili peppers, chopped
fresh galangal, finely minced
lemongrass, thinly sliced or finely minced (I prefer slicing and using only the young tender parts vs the whole stalk which can be too coarse and grainy)
stock (optional - see steps 3 below)
roasted rice powder
mint leaves & long coriander leaf & one other herb that I forgot the name of, but it's on the picture
scallions
cilantro
salt & sugar
1. In a large bowl, combine beef and lime juice. mix well. Taste to see if the desired tartness is acheived.
2. Add the next 6 ingredients. mix well. Taste for flavor. Adjust salt and/or fish sauce.
3. At this point, it's up to you to decide whether to add stock or not. The stock is made from boiling a little piece of the bbq steak (the burned parts with some fat) in water and a small piece of galangal root. I usually let this cool in the fridge until I needed it. If the bbq steak is too cooked and becomes dry, then you can add a little bit of stock at this time. If you didn't overcook it, and the steak is still juicy, then you do not have to add anything. Just dont add so much that you see a puddle in the bottom of the bowl.
4. Taste and adjust flavor before adding roasted rice powder or herbs.
5. add roasted rice powder, lightly mix
6. add in the herbs. do not toss or mix, let them sit on top.
the shrimp laab is basically made the same way. Just cook the shrimp ahead of time and cut them in halves (just to be able to feed a large group), but if you're not expecting a lot of people, then you don't have to cut them in half.