“Sok Di Pi Mai”
That’s Laotian for “Happy New Year,” celebrated with great joy in Laos from April 14-16. Those three days are filled with festivals, pageants, social dances, traditional music, ceremonies, and worship. It’s a time of cleansing and renewal to usher in the blessings of health and prosperity.
Pi Mai Lao — Lao New Year — is observed by Laotian Americans in similar fashion, with Murfreesboro holding one of the largest festivals in the United States. It’s a wonderful opportunity to experience Laotian culture and foods and is often held in May. In honor of Pi Mai, Colby Rasavong, first-generation Laotian American and Executive Chef of Bad Idea, enjoys sharing his heritage dishes. Laab, minced meat salad, is considered a national dish of Laos and can be made with different proteins: beef, pork, or chicken. Chef Colby’s recipe highlights beef, seared to form a hard crust, but still uber-rare in the center. His salad has all the distinct and balanced notes of the cuisine: sweet, salt, sour, spicy, pungent. The rich beef taste is prominent, with the toasted rice powder adding nutlike flavor and texture. The array of fresh herb leaves strewn throughout the mixture punctuates each bite with something bright and new. (badideanashville.com)
Laab Salad
Courtesy of executive chef Colby Rasavong
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. ribeye or top round beef
- Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper Neutral oil, such as grapeseed
- 1 Medium-sized shallot, sliced thinly
- 1 3-inch piece of lemongrass, sliced thinly
- Juice of 2 limes
- 3 tbsp. toasted rice powder (see recipe below)
- 2 tbsp. fish sauce (Chef Colby prefers Red Boat)
- 1 tbsp. dried, finely ground chili de arbol
- Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, Thai basil
Directions:
- Liberally season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a cast-iron skillet on high and add a small amount of oil.
- Sear the beef, just enough to create a nice, charred crust, on both sides. Allow the meat to rest for a minute or two, before slicing it against the grain as thinly as possible.
- In a bowl, add the sliced shallots, lime juice, sliced lemongrass, toasted rice powder, fish sauce, and ground chili de arbol. Add the sliced beef and toss to coat the meat well with all ingredients.
- Pick the leaves off a few sprigs of mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. Fold into the salad and serve.
Chef’s note: Don’t be afraid to season to your palate: more lime, less fish sauce, more chili...
Toasted Rice Powder:
While you can purchase this at most Asian markets, it is easy to make your own. Chef Colby shares his parents’ method.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Jasmine rice
Directions:
- Heat a wok or cast-iron skillet on medium high heat. Add the rice, stirring it to let the grains brown evenly. Take care to not let the grains blacken or burn. It will have a toasty, nutlike aroma.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the toasted rice into a powder.