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Jeow bong
Jeow bong (ແຈ່ວບອງ): Luang Prabang sweet-hot chilli paste with pork skin
Jeow bong is the famous chilli relish of Luang Prabang, the old royal capital, sold in little jars at its night market and eaten with sticky rice, crisp river-weed sheets and fresh vegetables at almost every Lao meal. Dried chillies, roasted garlic, shallot and galangal are pounded with palm sugar and fish sauce into a sticky, smoky, sweet-hot jam. This version contains pork: traditionally it includes thin strips of dried buffalo skin, and here it uses cooked pork skin for the same chewy texture. Chef's tip: roast the aromatics until truly blackened in spots; that char gives jeow bong its smoky depth.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the paste
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast 20 large dried red chillies in a dry pan over a low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until darker and crisp but not black. Open a window; the fumes are strong.
4 minStep 2: Roast 1 bulb garlic, 6 shallots and 1 oz galangal in the same pan or under a hot grill for 12–15 minutes, turning, until soft and blackened in spots. Peel the garlic and shallots.
15 minStep 3: Pound the chillies in a mortar (or blitz) to coarse flakes, then add the garlic, shallots and galangal and pound to a rough paste.
8 minStep 4: Warm 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan over a low heat. Add the paste, 2 ⅛ oz palm sugar, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp tamarind paste and ½ tsp salt and cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring, until thick, sticky and dark red. A common mistake is a high heat; the sugar burns quickly.
8 minStep 5: Stir in 2 ⅛ oz cooked pork skin (or chicharrón) and cook for 2 minutes. Cool, then spoon into a clean jar. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and always use a clean spoon.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jeow bong take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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