Thai Caramel Pork

This is a sweet and spicy, super tasty and really quick to make Thai dish which my husband and I totally love.  If a few weeks go by without making this, I can be sure he will ask for it soon! It is great served with a bit of jasmine rice and a sharp dish like a green papaya salad or even a  quick stir fried veg. It is really so good that if you make it once, you will make it forever! So do make it and add one more dish to your culinary arsenal!

It is also great that you can cook and keep it in the fridge and reheat later. But it’s so fast to make that you may as well just make it before eating! I am sure this would also taste really good with chicken if you are not such a fan of pork. I also like to keep a box of deep-fried onions in my kitchen cupboard (which you can pick up at the Thai/Asian grocery store) and sprinkle a tablespoon of them on top and add that nice crunchy texture. They are very convenient to have for someone like me who will never make deep-fried crispy onions. They also sell deep-fried garlic like that which I also like to have around! It does taste better with palm sugar, so I would pick that up at your local Thai grocery, but it would still be fine to use brown sugar if you can’t be bothered.

This recipe is from the best Thai cook book I know (and I have a few), it’s called “The Food of Thailand, a journey for food lovers” and is published by Murdoch books.

CARAMEL PORK

or MUU WAAN

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

75g asian shallots or a regular onion

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

500 g shoulder or leg or pork / pork fillet cut into thin slices

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

4 tablespoons palm sugar (if you don’t have palm sugar use brown sugar)

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Serves 4

Heat the oil in a wok or deep saucepan and stir fry the shallots or onions till they are golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Keep the wok heated and stir-fry the garlic in the oil till light brown, then add the pork and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and ground  white pepper and continue cooking for about five minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture forms a thick sticky sauce. Spoon onto a serving plate and sprinkle with crispy shallots or onions. Serve straight away or reheat later and serve.  Enjoy!!!