Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork

泰南普吉香料炆豬肉 Moo Hong

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — finished dish

Total time: 115 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Pork belly is rendered, then slowly braised with coriander root, garlic, black pepper, palm sugar and dark soy into Phuket Moo Hong’s tender, glossy pieces.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

800 g pork belly
6 cloves garlic
3 pieces coriander roots

Main seasoning

2 tsp black peppercorns
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
40 g palm sugar
800 ml hot water

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — ingredients

02

Tools

cutting board
dry skillet
mortar
heavy pot
spatula
chopstick

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — tools

03

Steps

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Cut pork belly into four-centimetre cubes and pat dry

Step 1

Cut pork belly into four-centimetre cubes and pat dry

Cut pork belly into four-centimetre cubes and pat dry.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Dry-toast peppercorns until fragrant and crush coarsely

Step 2

Dry-toast peppercorns until fragrant and crush coarsely

Dry-toast peppercorns until fragrant and crush coarsely.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Pound coriander roots and garlic into a moist paste

Step 3

Pound coriander roots and garlic into a moist paste

Pound coriander roots and garlic into a moist paste.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Start pork in a cold heavy pot and slowly render and brown every side

Step 4

Start pork in a cold heavy pot and slowly render and brown every side

Start pork in a cold heavy pot and slowly render and brown every side.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Pour off excess rendered fat, leaving a thin coating

Step 5

Pour off excess rendered fat, leaving a thin coating

Pour off excess rendered fat, leaving a thin coating.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Fry coriander-garlic paste over medium-low heat until cooked and aromatic

Step 6

Fry coriander-garlic paste over medium-low heat until cooked and aromatic

Fry coriander-garlic paste over medium-low heat until cooked and aromatic.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Melt palm sugar into the aromatics until deep golden

Step 7

Melt palm sugar into the aromatics until deep golden

Melt palm sugar into the aromatics until deep golden.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Return pork; toss with dark soy and crushed pepper

Step 8

Return pork; toss with dark soy and crushed pepper

Return pork; toss with dark soy and crushed pepper.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Add 800 ml hot water to barely cover pork, boil and lower heat

Step 9

Add 800 ml hot water to barely cover pork, boil and lower heat

Add 800 ml hot water to barely cover pork, boil and lower heat.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Cover and braise sixty minutes, turning twice during cooking

Step 10

Cover and braise sixty minutes, turning twice during cooking

Cover and braise sixty minutes, turning twice during cooking.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Check a chopstick slides easily through pork while cubes remain intact

Step 11

Check a chopstick slides easily through pork while cubes remain intact

Check a chopstick slides easily through pork while cubes remain intact.

Thai Moo Hong Braised Pork — Uncover and reduce, turning until every piece is glazed; serve

Step 12

Uncover and reduce, turning until every piece is glazed; serve

Uncover and reduce, turning until every piece is glazed; serve.

Common mistakes

High heat scorches pork before rendering; burnt palm sugar makes the braise bitter.

Tips

Slow-render from a cold pot before braising to reduce greasiness while preserving the belly layers.