Today I’d like to share with you a Thai-style braised pork belly, Moo Palo. I used to eat it all the time when I was a kid in Thailand. I miss it a lot. It’s similar to Chinese Lu Rou, but it also has its own characteristics. Let’s get started!
Serve: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 35 minutes
For the spices & herbs:
1 cinnamon stick
5 pieces cloves
3 pods star anise
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
3 cilantro roots
3 garlic cloves
For the Moo Palo:
2 pounds pork belly, cut into 1 ½-inch cube.
3 tablespoons palm sugar
6 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce, or other soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
6 boiled eggs
7 tofu puffs, halved
Instructions
- After thoroughly cleaned the pork belly, use a razor to trim off its hair. Then cut it into 1 ½-inch cubes.
- In a pan, over low heat, add the cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, coriander seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry until aromatic, 3 minutes.
- Transfer the spices into a spice bag, and add in the cilantro roots and garlic. (You could add the cilantro roots and garlic here, or chop them up, and stir-fry them later. I just prefer it this way a little better.) Seal the bag.
- In a pot, over high heat, transfer in the pork belly. Stir-fry until lightly browned, 5 minutes. Remove the pork belly, and reserve the pork oil.
- In the same pot, over medium-low heat, add in the palm sugar. Stir until lightly browned for 5 minutes.
- Return the pork belly. Mix well.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Turn to high heat.
- Season it with the fish sauce, Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. Mix well. Also, return the spice bag. Cover the lid. Bring it to a boil, turn to low heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.
- (Normally the tofu puff comes in a square shape, but it wasn’t available in my local supermarket, so I got these instead.) Cut it in halves.
- In a pot of boiling water, over high hit, transfer in the eggs. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove the eggs, and rinse under running water. Peel the eggs.
- Uncover the lid of the pot, and transfer in the tofu puff and boiled eggs. Cover the lid. Continue to simmer, over low heat, 30 minutes. Remove be the spice bag. Serve.
