Khao Kha Moo

Ingredients

Pork

• 1whole pork leg or hock, about 2 kg, skin on
• 1 tablespoonsalt, for cleaning

Braising liquid

• 2 litreswater
• 150 mldark soy sauce
• 100 mllight soy sauce
• 3 tablespoonsoyster sauce
• 120 gpalm sugar
• 2 teaspoonsfive spice powder
• 3star anise
• 2cinnamon sticks
• 1 headof garlic, halved
• 6coriander roots, bruised
• 1 teaspoonwhite peppercorns

To serve

• steamed jasmine rice
• 6eggs, hard-boiled
• pickled mustard greens
• steamed greens
• fresh coriander

Chilli sauce

• 8bird’s eye chillies
• 6garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoonswhite vinegar
• 1 tablespoonsugar
• 1 teaspoonsalt

Directions

1. Pull out any remaining bristles with tweezers. Rub the whole leg all over with salt. Rinse it under cold running water. Put the pork in a large pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil and let it bubble for five minutes. Drain it and discard that water entirely. Rinse the pork under cold water. Wash the pot out before continuing. Return the pork to the clean pot. Add the two litres of fresh water.
2. Add both soy sauces and the oyster sauce. Add the palm sugar and the five spice. Add the star anise, cinnamon and peppercorns. Add the halved garlic and the coriander roots.
3. Use the stems if you cannot get the roots. Bring it to a boil and then lower it. Cover the pot and let it simmer very gently. It needs about three full hours. Turn the pork every forty minutes. That keeps the colour even all over.
4. Top up with hot water if the level drops too far. The pork should be submerged most of the time. Add the boiled eggs for the last hour. They take on colour and flavour from the liquid.
5. Reduce it uncovered if it is too thin. Taste it and adjust the soy and sugar. It should be salty, sweet and deeply aromatic. Pound the chillies and garlic in a mortar. Add the salt and keep pounding. Stir in the vinegar and the sugar.
6. Taste it and balance the sour, salt and heat. It should be fiercely sharp and hot. Rinse the pickled mustard greens. Squeeze them dry and slice them. Steam some plain greens as well. Serving it is done over hot rice. Lift the pork out and set it on a board.
7. Slice it thickly across the grain. Pile steamed rice onto each plate. Lay the sliced pork over the rice. Ladle plenty of braising liquid over everything. Add half a braised egg to each plate. Add pickled greens and steamed greens on the side. Scatter fresh coriander over the top. Serve the chilli sauce in a small dish. It keeps for four days refrigerated.

Technique

• Khao kha moo is sold from dedicated stalls all day and all night across Thailand.
• The braising liquid at long-running stalls is often a master stock topped up over years.

Substitutions

• Pork belly or shoulder can be used, though neither gives the same gelatinous skin.
• Dark brown sugar replaces palm sugar reasonably well.

Variations

• Some stalls add tofu and mushrooms to the braise.
• A version with more five spice is sold in the north.
• The Chinese ancestor of the dish is the red-braised pork knuckle.

Frequently asked questions

What is Khao Kha Moo?

Khao Kha Moo is a street food from Thailand: pork leg braised in soy and five spice, sliced over rice with pickled greens.

How long does Khao Kha Moo take to make?

Khao Kha Moo takes 30 minutes of preparation and 3 hours of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Khao Kha Moo?

Yes, within limits. Pork belly or shoulder can be used, though neither gives the same gelatinous skin. Dark brown sugar replaces palm sugar reasonably well.

What is the most important thing to get right in Khao Kha Moo?

Pull out any remaining bristles with tweezers. Rub the whole leg all over with salt. Rinse it under cold running water. Put the pork in a large pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil and let it bubble for five minutes. Drain it and discard that water entirely. Rinse the pork under cold water. Wash the pot out before continuing. Return the pork to the clean pot. Add the two litres of fresh water.