Subject: [THAI] Pad Ped Mu (Stir Fried Pork)
From: "Colonel I. F. K. Philpott" <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Jul 1996 19:23:26 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes

Pad Ped Mu (Stir Fried Pork)

This dish is made with belly pork.  There are a number of reasons for
this: on the pragmatic level the Thais tend to use all of an animal, and
this is a way of using the rather fatty belly pork.  Secondly the style
of cooking means that the dish is cooked in the pork fat itself, which
enhances the flavor.  Thirdly, the fatty meat absorbs the additional
flavors and so tastes better.

My wife prepared this for our dinner last night and cooked it in an
iron wok as always.  The pork tends to stick, and so it is quite a
difficult job cleaning up afterwards.  Consequently I am going to suggest
that you use a non-stick stir fry pan or saute pan for this dish if
available.  The wok or pan should be quite hot, so as to sear the pork
and render the fat quickly.  If the pan is too cold, it will tend to
become leathery and "chewy".

My recipe notes indicate that the sliced chilies are optional.  You can
also reduce the amount of red curry paste used quite substantially
without too much adverse affect on the authenticity of the dish.

The sliced prik yuat are a Thai variety which is hard to find outside
Thailand.  Known as the Thai bell pepper, you could easily substitute
ordinary bell peppers for this ingredient.

The long beans used in Thailand are known as tua phak yao.  I have seen
these sold in the West as "Yak's Tails".  If unavailable, ordinary green
long beans can be used.

Ingredients:

1 pound of belly pork, cut into small dice.

2 cups of long beans, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup prik yuat (green Thai bell peppers), sliced
1/2 cup prik yuat daeng (red Thai bell peppers), sliced

3 tablespoons red curry paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon nam prik pao (roasted chilies in oil)
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon [palm] sugar
1 tablespoon prik ki nu (green birdseye chilies), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Method:

Heat a wok (see above), and then add the belly pork and stir fry until
it turns brown and the fat crispens and reduces.  If it becomes too dry,
add a very small amount of peanut oil.

Add the curry paste and stir fry to combine; then add the fish sauce,
chili oil, garlic, sugar, chilies and pepper and stir fry for about two
minutes stirring continuously to combine the flavors and mix well.

Add the bell peppers and stir fry until they just begin to soften, then
add the long beans and stir fry until heated through (about 30 seconds).

Serve with steamed white [jasmine] rice.

-- 
Colonel Ian F. Khuntilanont-Philpott
<[email-masked]>
Systems Engineering, Vongchavalitkul University,
Korat 30000, Thailand

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