Calling this a salad is using the term rather loosely, but it does fall into the broad family of Thai salads. Unlike many Thai salads, this one isn’t especially fiery, making it perfect for a light lunch or simple dinner.
Unlike many Thai salads, this recipe doesn’t rely on fish sauce or sour ingredients. Instead, the fragrant kaffir (makrut) lime leaf provides its distinctive character, while the coconut milk gives the dish a gentle sweetness.
What’s the history of this dish?
The specific combination of pork (Moo Sub) and shrimp (Kung) is very representative of Central Thai cuisine. Lon dishes have deep roots in Thai Royal Palace cuisine (Ahan Chao Wang). Refined by palace cooks during the Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin eras, these dips/lons were designed to showcase a royal cook’s technical skill, as no single ingredient or flavor dominates the finished dish.
This recipe is an adaptation from Jennifer Brennan’s, The Original Thai Cookbook
You can find this cookbook amongst others on my Essential Cookbooks page, The Cookbooks That Changed How I Cook
Interested in trying some other Thai dishes?
Thai Ginger Chicken- Gai Pad King
Gai Larb- The Classic Thai Chicken Salad
Thai Chicken with Basil/ Gai Pad Prik Grapao- Top Thai Dish
Authentic Thai Street Food: Marinated Grilled Chicken
Exploring Thai Curries: Where Do I Start?
Essential Ingredients for Authentic Chinese and Thai Cooking
And of course, My Favorite Recipes
Ingredients:
½ pound Shrimp, loosely chopped
½ pound ground Pork
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Sugar
2 fresh green Serrano chillies, seeded and sliced or chopped for a little more heat.
1-2 Kaffir(makrut) Lime leaves
1-2 Tbsp Cilantro Leaves, roughly chopped
Preparation:
Place the shrimp and ground pork in a bowl and gently combine them. Set aside while you prepare the coconut milk.
Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring it just to a gentle simmer, take care not to let it boil, as this can cause the coconut milk to separate.
Add the shrimp and pork mixture, stirring gently to break up the pork and distribute the shrimp evenly. Bring the mixture back to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through and the pork is no longer pink.
Season with the salt, pepper, kaffir lime leaf and sugar, stirring until everything is well combined. Finally, add the sliced chilies and cook for another minute to allow their flavor to infuse the sauce.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and scatter the fresh cilantro leaves over the top. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice, on the side, which is perfect for soaking up any of the coconut milk sauce.
This article is part of The Pasadena Chef Cooking School. Explore more cooking lessons, techniques, and ingredient guides here. The Pasadena Chef Cooking School
Authentic Thai Minced Shrimp and Pork Salad (Lon Kung Moo Sub)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the shrimp and ground pork in a bowl and gently combine them. Set aside while you prepare the coconut milk.
- Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring it just to a gentle simmer, take care not to let it boil, as this can cause the coconut milk to separate.
- Add the shrimp and pork mixture, stirring gently to break up the pork and distribute the shrimp evenly. Bring the mixture back to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through and the pork is no longer pink.
- Season with the salt, pepper, kaffir lime leaf and sugar, stirring until everything is well combined. Finally, add the sliced chilies and cook for another minute to allow their flavor to infuse the sauce.
- Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and scatter the fresh cilantro leaves over the top. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice, on the side, which is perfect for soaking up any of the coconut milk sauce.