Thai-style ground dove (or boar, or any game bird) with lime, toasted rice powder, shallot and copious herbs.

“Meat salad” is an oft-used descriptor for Larb (sometimes spelled Laab or Laap), and that’s apt. Ground meat - often pork or chicken - is lightly cooked, dressed with lime juice and tossed with lots of shallot and fresh herbs. While simple to prepare, it has a wonderful complexity due to the inclusion of some toasted rice powder. This is very simple to make in a hot, dry pan. Toast the rice well, grind with a mortar and pestle, and you're ready to go.

This should be served just warm or room temperature, and is a very good hot-weather meal, which coincides with dove season. I find that many dove recipes seasonally coincide with a menu of vegetables that are in season with no other game, as the hottest last months of summer when the doves are flying are also the time for sun-loving vegetable crops. Serving this with cucumbers and long beans feels right, as they’re also at peak during this time.

Dove is exceptional in this recipe, as it asserts itself among the strong flavors of the dressing. Use ground wild boar, or any other game bird in its place.

Serves 4

4 tbsp rice

2 lime leaves (optional)

4-8 dried hot chiles such as bird’s eye or chile de arbol, depending on spice level

Juice of 8 Mexican or Key limes (about 6 tbsp)

2 tsp sugar

12-16 ounces dove breasts, ground or finely chopped (about 12-15 birds)

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 medium shallots, thinly sliced (or use 1 medium red onion)

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 cup mint leaves

Steamed or sticky rice for serving

Fresh vegetables like cucumber, long beans, green cabbage and/or lettuce, for serving

In a medium cast iron pan over medium heat, toast the rice and 1 of the optional lime leaves, stirring constantly until a deep golden, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the rice and lime leaf to a mortar and grind both to a coarse, sandlike texture, discarding the rib of the lime leaf. If you don’t have a mortar, use a spice grinder, but don’t grind it to a fine powder; pulse the rice so there’s some texture. Set the ground rice aside in a medium bowl.

Add the dried chiles to the pan and toast them over medium heat, about 1 minute. Grind these in the mortar, or chop them finely. Add these to the bowl along with the lime juice and sugar. 

Add the ground dove, 2 tbsp water and the fish sauce to the pan and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until cooked, but not browned. You want it to just be lightly steamed through.

Place the dove in the bowl and add the shallots. Stir well to combine and adjust the seasoning with salt and more lime if you see fit. Stir in the cilantro.

Serve the Larb with the mint leaves on top and rice and vegetables on the side.