International dishesFried DishesThailandabout 3 hours including marinating
Thai fried pork belly with tamarind dipping sauce comes out deep amber, crisp at the edges, with a sour and spicy tamarind dip alongside. The difficulty is frying without burning, because the meat is heavily seasoned and marinated for a long time.
Before frying, scrape the seasoning off the surface of the meat, or the pounded cilantro root and garlic will blacken the moment they hit the hot oil.
This batch weighs about 889g, at roughly 392 calories per 100g. Serve it with sticky rice and fresh vegetables.
Method
Pound 4 cilantro roots, 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns and 5 to 6 garlic cloves smooth in a mortar. Cut 600g of pork belly or pork shoulder into slabs about 1 to 1.5cm thick.
Mix the meat with the pounded paste, 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1.5 teaspoons of fish sauce, rub it in well and marinate for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight for the best result.
Heat a deep pan of oil over medium high heat. Scrape the seasoning off the surface of the meat before frying so it does not burn. Fry until the pork is deep amber, then lift it out and cut it into bite sized pieces.
For the dipping sauce, mix 1 level tablespoon of tamarind paste with 5 tablespoons of warm water, add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 5 to 6 teaspoons of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon of roasted glutinous rice powder and 3 teaspoons of chili powder, then finish with 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced shallot and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro.
Arrange the pork on a plate and serve it with sticky rice, raw cabbage, raw yardlong beans and fresh greens.
Tips
A mortar rather than a blender for the cilantro root and garlic releases their oils and gives the meat far more aroma.
A dip that leans more sour than sweet cuts through the richness of the fried pork.
Cut the pork into 1 to 1.5 cm slices, since thinner ones shrivel and dry out in the pan.
An overnight marinade carries the seasoning to the middle of each slab, and 2 hours is the minimum.
Scrape the seasoning off the surface before the meat goes into the oil, or it will burn.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.