← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 3 coriander roots or a small bunch of stalks
• 1 tsp whole white peppercorns
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tsp Chinese five-spice
• 600 g skinless pork belly or pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• ½ tsp Salt
• 3 Star anise
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1.2 l Water
• 6 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
• 150 g fried tofu, cut into chunks (optional)
• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 min (optional)
• 1 handful coriander leaves, to serve
• 300 g jasmine rice, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Pound the garlic, coriander roots and peppercorns in a mortar to a coarse paste.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the paste for 1 minute, until golden. Add the palm sugar and stir for about 2 min, until it melts and caramelises to a deep amber.
3. Stir in the five-spice for 30 seconds, then add the pork and turn it for 3–4 minutes until every piece is coated and glossy.
4. Add both soy sauces, the salt, star anise, cinnamon and water. Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour.
5. Add the eggs, tofu and drained mushrooms and simmer uncovered for 30 min more, turning the eggs now and then, until the pork is very tender and the eggs are a rich brown.
6. Taste the broth: it should be sweet and savoury with warm spice. Serve in bowls with coriander and plenty of rice.

Tips

• It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and tastes better each day; the eggs keep darkening.
• Soy sauce contains wheat; use tamari and gluten-free dark soy for a gluten-free pot.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Marion's Kitchen Hungry in Thailand Marion's Kitchen