Kana Pad Ped Moo Krob (คะน้าผัดเผ็ดหมูกรอบ)/Crispy Pork and Chinese Broccoli Spicy Stir Fry

"Ka Na" (คะน้า) in Thai and "Kai Lan" (芥蘭) in Cantonese are both Chinese Broccoli.  My "Pad Ped Moo Krob" (ผัดเผ็ดหมูกรอบ) is my home style stir fry one meal dish. My family doesn't like eggplant but we do like Chinese broccoli and regular broccoli so we substitute that instead for the traditionally used eggplant.  If you like broccoli rabe, try with this recipe and let us out how it turns out!

Moo Krob (หมูกรอบ) is the pork belly that has been salted then roasted to the point that the skin super crispy. You can find it in any Cantonese noodle restaurants or in certain Chinese supermarkets.  In the past I only knew one way to eat crispy roasted pork and that was in place of the Char Siu (叉燒) with rice, which is a great Cantonese one dish meal.  I really love it!  But with this recipe, now I can introduce one more dish with the crispy roasted pork but Thai-style with even more flavor.  Even my youngest daughter said "umm" at her first bite.  If you do not like pork or have a hard time eating anything fried or crispy, feel free to substitute to boneless chicken thigh or boneless beef ribs.

Please adjust the heat  to your preference.  As always, eating with Thai people always has some "Prik Nam Pra, Ma Nou" or the Thai fish sauce with bird's eye chili and lime juice on the table. I do not know why you need it since the dish is so delicious, but Thai people still have the custom or the culture to have the dipping sauce with.  We can't help it.  Or is it just a something that we have to do when we eat? I do not know, but my condiments are never far from me.  Now I am curious which country has the most dipping sauces in the world, or consume the most in the world?

- Daisy

 

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I nearly fainted when I had this.  It was THAT good.  My mom hadn't made this dish before, or at least not when I can remember.  Its strange how your palate changes as you grow.  There have been so many times where she will make something that I am absolutely in love with, only to find out that she used to make it all the time when my brother and I were young, and only stopped because we complained that we didn't like it.

In this case, since the dish is pretty spicy, I could probably understand why my brother and I couldn't take it.  I still can't eat food that is too spicy, I feel like at a certain point it just kills your tastebuds but try telling my mom that.   

- Darin

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Kana Pad Ped Moo Krob 

คะน้าผัดเผ็ดหมูกรอบ

Crispy Pork and Chinese Broccoli Spicy Stir Fry

Serves 2-3

1/2 lb. Crispy Roasted Pork
1 1/4 lb. Chinese Broccoli, washed and cut diagonally
2 tsp. Red Curry Paste, preferably Maesri
1/2 cup Thai Basil
3 tsp Fish Sauce
2 tsp Sugar
3 cloves Garlic, smashed
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Fresh Red Chilies, cut diagonally
6 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1) Put the Chinese broccoli in a microwave proof bowl, cover and heat for 1 minute.  Set aside.

2) Heat up a sauté pan with 2 tbsp oil and refry the pork for 2 minutes on each side.  Set aside. 

3) Heat up another 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and toss in the smashed garlic and fry until fragrant (not burnt!) then pour in the Chinese broccoli.  Let it heat up for a couple of seconds before starting to stir. Use two spatula to stir, almost like you are tossing a salad, until cooked then add 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp fish sauce. Set aside.

4) In the same pan, add in 2 tsp of Thai red curry paste and the minced garlic.  Pour in the pan juice from Chinese broccoli dish and quickly stir to incorporate with the curry paste.  

5) Add in the pork and the Chinese broccoli and mix everything together, making sure they are all coated with the sauce.  Taste it before adding in some more sugar and/or fish sauce. 

6) Stir in basil and serve with hot white or brown rice.