Thai Basil Pork Stir-Fry (Pad Kra Pao Moo)
This is pad kra pao moo the way it was made at the stall near the night market, fast, hot, a little scorched at the edges, the holy basil going in only after the flame is off. The fried egg is part of the dish. Don't serve it without one.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 4 cloves garlic smashed, chopped
- 2-3 Thai bird's eye chilies chopped
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- Steamed jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the IngredientsSmash and chop the garlic. Chop the chilies. Slice the onion. Mix the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and water together in a small bowl. Pick the basil leaves and set them beside the stove. Have everything ready before the heat goes on. This dish moves too fast to stop and measure.
- Fry the Garlic and Chilies, Then Add the PorkHeat the oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the smashed garlic and chilies. Stir for twenty to thirty seconds until fragrant and beginning to color. Add the ground pork and sliced onion. Press the pork flat against the pan and let it sit for fifteen seconds before breaking it apart. Cook until no pink remains and the edges begin to catch color, about five to seven minutes.
- Add the Sauce:Pour the sauce over the pork and toss to coat. Cook for thirty seconds over high heat until the sauce reduces and clings. Taste and adjust. Then turn off the heat.Add the Basil:With the heat off, add the holy basil all at once and fold it through the pork. The residual heat wilts it in about twenty seconds. Plate immediately over jasmine rice.
- Serving: Fry the Egg and Serve. In a separate pan, heat enough oil to almost submerge the egg. Crack the egg in when the oil is almost smoking. The white will blister and go crispy at the edges while the yolk stays soft. Thirty to forty seconds. Slide it on top of the rice and pork. The egg is part of the dish.
Video
Notes
- High heat is not negotiable in this Thai basil pork recipe. A medium flame gives you steamed, grey pork sitting in liquid. High heat gives you caramelized, slightly charred pork with a sauce that clings. If your kitchen setup doesn't allow for a very high flame, cook in smaller batches rather than crowding the pan and lowering the temperature.
- The sauce ratio is fish sauce and oyster sauce in roughly equal parts, with just enough dark soy for color. Don't skip the dark soy, without it the dish looks pale and a little lost. If you only have regular soy sauce, it will work but the color won't be the same.
- Holy basil wilts faster than you expect, and it keeps wilting after it leaves the heat. Don't add it early. Don't add it while the flame is still on. Off the heat, fold it in, plate within a minute. That's the window.
- This Thai basil pork recipe is built for one or two servings cooked at a time. If you're feeding four people, cook two batches back to back rather than doubling in the pan. A doubled batch drops the wok temperature and the whole character of the dish changes. The second batch will be ready before the first one is cold.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 25gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 850mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
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