Go Back
Pork glistens on a mound of mustard greens

Traditional Hmong Feast

Lucy Lor, Onalaska
Lucy Lor provides her recipes for three traditional dishes found in a Hmong feast she cooks for her family and community near La Crosse. ‘Traditional’ Hmong recipes like these have deep roots in Hmong culture and closely — but not exactly — replicate what was cooked in Laos. Families in Laos typically used ingredients they farmed or harvested from the wild, and many of those ingredients are not available in America or available in the same way they were found in Laos. Talk to your Hmong neighbor, visit a Hmong farmer at a Wisconsin farmer’s market or take a trip to an Asian grocery store and try one or all of these recipes.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Hmong

Ingredients
  

Stewed Hmong Chicken With Herbs

  • 1 whole Hmong Chicken, about 5 lbs (or substitute with organic chicken.)
  • 1 whole lemongrass stem
  • Hmong Chicken Herbs (or substitute with a second stem of lemongrass) (*Hmong chicken herbs include herbs known to have medicinal properties. Consult your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about whether the ingredient is appropriate for you. They're found at any local Hmong store.)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooked white rice (optional)

Boiled Pork with Mustard Greens

  • 2 lbs pork
  • 1 large bunch of mustard greens
  • salt and pepper to taste

Hmong Peppers

  • 10 green onions (scallions)
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • 1/2 cup peanuts (optional)
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp fish sauce to taste
  • 1 Tbsp MSG or substitute with vegetable soup base (optional)
  • 1/2 cup fresh whole chili peppers
  • 1 lime, juiced (optional)
  • 1 pinch salt to taste

Instructions
 

Stewed Hmong Chicken With Herbs

  • Fill a stock pot half way full with water. Add whole chicken and all the herbs into the pot before the water boils.
  • Bring to a boil for 15-20 mins and salt to taste. (If not using Hmong Chicken or if using a chicken larger than 5 lbs, confirm chicken is fully cooked before serving. It could take an additional 20-30 minutes.)
  • Serve broth with herbs and pieces of chicken in individual bowls. Place chicken on a platter and pull off pieces of chicken as you eat. Serve with white rice.

Boiled Pork with Mustard Greens

  • Fill a stock pot half way full with water and add pork into the pot and bring to a boil. 
  • Add 2 teaspoon of salt to taste. Let pork boil for 5 mins and add mustard greens.
  • Let the pot boil for 10 mins, and take it off the stove and it is ready to be served hot. Add additional salt as needed.

Hmong Peppers

  • In a mortar, add peppers and pinch of salt, garlic, smash the chili peppers until it is a paste consistency. Add peanuts, lime, and optional MSG or vegetable soup base. 
  • Add cilantro and green onions and smash it in the mortar until it is evenly grounded, then add fish sauce and a little water to thin it out. Add any additional seasonings of your likings. Ready to be serve.