"For the uninitiated, it’s a Laotian sausage made with pork, tons of aromatics, and—surprise!—rice. At Bida Manda, chef Lon Bounsanga makes it with a high-fat blend of ground pork (including pork belly) and jasmine rice, which in the past was used to stretch the meat in leaner times. Bounsanga continues to do this because the rice helps the sausage retain the flavor of the pork fat and all the other ingredients added to the sausage: lemongrass, dill, garlic, scallions, cilantro, and makrut lime leaves. The result is an incredibly complex sausage with a texture that’s somewhere between crumbly and creamy and a flavor that juxtaposes lively, fresh herbs with salty, fatty pork. It comes grilled, sliced, and served with pickled ginger. And I now rest my case for the best sausage out there." - ByAlex Delany
