Pad Kra Pao Moo Saap: A Thai Pork Rice Bowl You Can't Miss

Ingredients−1servings+

• minced pork200g
• garlic cloves3
• bird's eye chilies2
• soy sauce1 spoon
• dark soy sauce0.5 spoon
• fish sauce0.5 spoon
• oyster sauce2 spoons
• sugar1g
• egg1
• basilas needed
• canola oilas needed

Directions▶ Start cooking

1. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, put 3 garlic cloves and 2 bird's eye chilies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or stick to maximize their aroma.
2. Set a pan over medium heat and pour in canola oil.
3. Add the crushed chilies and garlic and stir-fry.
4. When the garlic starts to change color slightly, add 200g of minced pork and stir-fry, breaking it up well to prevent clumping.
5. Once the minced pork has browned somewhat, add 1 spoon of soy sauce and stir-fry. The soy sauce will caramelize and develop a good aroma.
6. Add 0.5 spoon of fish sauce, 0.5 spoon of dark soy sauce, and 2 spoons of oyster sauce and mix.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
8. Add just 1g of sugar. Sugar here balances the saltiness rather than adding sweetness.
9. Once seasoned, turn off the heat, add the basil, and stir-fry briefly. Overcooking basil will diminish its aroma.
10. Now, we will make a sunny-side-up egg. Drizzle oil into a pan set over medium heat.
11. Fry 1 egg when the pan is not too hot. If the pan is too hot, the bottom will burn while the top remains uncooked.
12. Place rice on a plate.
13. Place the Pad Kra Pao Moo Saap over the rice.
14. Top with the fried egg, and it's complete.

Tips

• In Thailand, garlic and chilies are pounded with a mortar and pestle, which yields better flavor and aroma than mincing with a knife.
• Dark soy sauce is used for color and can be omitted.
• While seasoning is important in Pad Kra Pao Moo Saap, the aroma of basil also plays a crucial role.
• By adjusting the amount of fish sauce, even those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine can enjoy it to their liking.

🧑‍🍳 Recipe analysis notes

Supplementary notes from the video analysis. Please check the original video before cooking.

⚠️ Where this goes wrong

• Be careful not to overcook the basil, as it will lose its aroma.
• When stir-frying garlic and chilies, be careful not to burn them, and it's important to break up the minced pork well to prevent clumping.
• When frying an egg, be careful if the pan temperature is too high, as the bottom may burn while the top remains uncooked.

🔄 Substitutions

• Dark soy sauce is for color, so it can be omitted.
• You can adjust the spiciness by using 1 Cheongyang chili pepper or 0.5 spoon of dried chili instead of bird's eye chilies.
• If fresh basil is unavailable, use 0.5 spoon of dried basil, but note that the aroma may be weaker.

🎚️ Adjusting the taste

• To reduce spiciness, adjust the amount of bird's eye chilies or omit them entirely.
• To reduce saltiness, adjust the seasoning by reducing the amounts of soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce from the start.
• 1g of sugar is for balancing saltiness; if you want to completely avoid sweetness, you can omit it.

✔️ Verification notes

• Always ensure the seasoning of the stir-fried pork is adjusted sufficiently to your personal taste.
• After turning off the heat and adding basil, stir-fry quickly to ensure its aroma remains vibrant and doesn't diminish.

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