Lok Lak, Cambodian Famous Dish
Lok lak is one of the most delicious dish in Cambodia and of course it's in my house as well! I am a lok lak chef superstar in my house because I do lots of experiment using beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and teriyaki chicken with squeezed in lime. Just last night, I made lok lak using teriyaki chicken. My mom want me to use beef because beef is delicious but I tell her no. I want something different, well, I went to the store and bought a bag of teriyaki chicken from food4less, the teriyaki chicken is well ranged and it has two bag of sauce in it. I would take the meat out from the bag and just cut it into small pieces just to make a bag of meat look like two bag of meat. Well, after that I mince the garlic and grab a pan, add vegetable oil and roast the garlic until golden then I would pour in one bag of teriyaki sauce, let it mix with the roast garlic then I would pour in the meat and let it cook. Mix it for a few second and leave it cook for a few minute then I added 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of salt, stir it again and add another bag of teriyaki sauce.
After that I would add some black pepper, a little bit of water, and squeeze in some lime. It has a sweet sour taste after it is cooked. While the meat is in session of cooking, grab a stock of lettuce, one cucumber, tomatoes, and onion. I would cut the lettuce in half and flatten the stem by lightly breaking the stems to make it flat and I would grab a plate and had it design like daisy or sunflower. After that I would thinly slice the cucumber, tomatoes and onion. I would first put the cucumber, tomatoes and then onion. After completing that then I would take my cook meat and put it on top of my veggies.
For the dipping, I would squeeze two lime, add 1 teaspoon of sugar, and a pinch of black pepper, I would have the sweet and sour taste for dipping.
How to eat? I have people ask me this question and I would tell them to grab some lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and lots of onion since I love onion and meat. I would dribble some lime juice all over my veggies and serve it with jasmine rice but traditionally, you would roll a small of jasmine rice into a ball, place it on your lettuce, add tomatoes, onion, cucumber and some meat then you would roll your lettuce into a burrito style and dip it into your sauce. It is nutritious and delicious!
You can always use different meat such as beef, pork, chicken, and turkey. I have tried seafood and they are delicious but it could not compare to the taste of the others. Now, how to cook beef, pork, chicken, and turkey?
Thinly slice the choice of your meat and mince garlic. Grab a pan, use vegetable oil or corn oil which ever oil you have at home...I use vegetable oil...and I would roast the garlic until golden. I have two table spoon of sugar and toss it in and then I added a few drops of fish sauce. I would stir it until it is golden then I would toss in the choice of meat I choose. I mixed it and let it cook.
While that is cooking, I uses starch...one teaspoon of starch and mixed it in with a water. While that is mixed, I would check to see if my meat is cooked, when my meat is cooked, I would add some black pepper, stir it for a few minute then I would pour in the starch. Mix the starch with the meat until it start to thicken. Give yourself a pinch of salt and taste it. If you need to add a little more of salt or sugar, it is your choice. About five minute after the starch is thicken, you would place it on top of your vegetable. Just the way you did it with the teriyaki chicken. Using the same dipping and serve with rice.
My fiance mother uses meat like snake, lizard, mouse, or frog meat, that is because she live in a small village in Cambodia. Enough protein to survive! :)
Total cost: less than $20
I went to the store and bought, cucumber, onion, tomatoes and my choice of meat, it cost me about 10 dollar and if you already have meat at home, it would cost you less than 5 dollar to get the veggies.
