When I was a kid, my dad cooked Thai a lot. Like, A LOT for a white guy. His specialty was Nam Tok, a stir-fried beef salad with onions and herbs. His friends requested that he make it for dinner parties. And I remember the kitchen smelling like mint, basil, burnt sugar and lemongrass.
This is not Nam Tok, but it has a lot of similar qualities—the herbs, the onions, the burnt sugar crusting tender meat. But, as always, we used what we had around. We didn’t have any lemongrass, but we have a strangely large stockpile of whole spices. The taste was closer to Vietnamese in the end than Thai (star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom), but it was just as good and as special as my dad’s party plates of Nam Tok.
Warning: This recipe requires at least 24 hours forethought. The marinade needs a day to soak, and the pickles need time to get good. The pickles are optional, but oh so good. You can use a shorter marinade time (as little as 30 minutes!) if you substitute a more delicate meat like fish or your favorite cut of chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces.
The Pickles:
2 daikon radishes, cut in matchsticks
1 carrot, cut in matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 star anise
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
Pinch of salt
Combine in a sealable container and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
The Pork Marinade:
1/4 tsp each coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flake
1 star anise, cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom pods
1 lime
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp soy sauce, sesame oil
1/2 tsp fish sauce 1/2 pork tenderloin, sliced thin
Combine ingredients in a sealable container, make sure the pork is coated, and refrigerate.
The Pork
For the sauce:
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar or honey
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of crushed red pepper
Remove the pork from its overnight marinade. Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl with any leftover marinade and reserve.
For the stir fry:
All the marinated pork
2 tbsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable oil works best)
1/2 cup rice flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup peanuts
15-20 mint leaves, chopped
10 basil leaves, chopped
2 scallions, sliced thinly
In a large heavy bottomed skillet or wok, heat the oil over high heat until it begins to smoke.
Pour the rice flour onto a plate with the salt and mix. Toss the pork in the flour mixture until well coated.
When the oil is screaming hot, add the pork and stir fry vigorously, tossing if possible, for about 4 minutes. It should start to brown well and become fragrant.
Pour the sauce into the pan, add the onions and peanuts, and toss to coat. Cook, still stirring vigorously, for about 90 seconds more, until the sauce is reduced and clings to the pork.
Transfer to a plate, top with chopped herbs and scallions, and serve immediately with jasmine or sticky rice and pickles.
This was so good we tried it again immediately, making the exact same dinner the next day with mahi mahi in place of the pork.
I can’t overstate how important it is to a) use a pan that can handle the heat and b) get the oil HOT. I like a heavy carbon steel skillet, but a wok or stainless pan would work well too. I wait until the oil is about 400 degrees, measured by tilting the pan and using an instant read thermometer, before I add the pork. That’s the trick to restaurant quality stir fry; unapologetic heat, lots of movement and air time, and a little sugar to caramelize in the sauce.
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