Chefs' Recipes

Amy Chanta and Palisa Anderson's kor mhu yaang with nahm jim jaew (grilled pork neck with smoked chilli sauce)

Best served with som dtum and sticky rice.

Oct 24, 2021 1:00am
By Palisa Anderson & Amy Chanta
  • 35 mins preparation (plus marinating)
  • 4 hrs 45 mins cooking (plus resting)
  • Serves 4
    • Print
    Print
"Growing up, Mum had the evening off on Mondays, which meant she could take her time preparing and experimenting," says Anderson. "Sometimes I would eat the same dinner for weeks on end until she nailed the recipe, such as this pork neck. Serve with a green papaya salad and sticky rice." Begin this recipe a day ahead.
Want Amy Chanta's recipe for som dtum Thai (green papaya salad)??

Ingredients

  • 1½ tbsp whole white peppercorns, toasted
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
  • 5 coriander roots, washed, chopped
  • 7 garlic cloves
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp each fish sauce and finely grated palm sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 kg pork neck (see note)
  • 80 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil
  • Radicchio leaves, snow pea tendrils and sliced spring onions, to serve
Nahm jim jaew (smoked chilli sauce)
  • 7 makrut lime leaves
  • 25 gm long-grain white rice
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 10 garlic cloves
  • 5 small red shallots
  • 5 birdseye chillies
  • 2 tbsp finely grated palm sugar
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
  • 5 coriander roots, coarsely chopped
  • 20 gm galangal, chopped
  • 2 pandan leaves, chopped
  • 2 lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
  • 2 tbsp spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp finely sliced makrut lime leaves
  • ½ tbsp small dried chillies, finely crushed
  • 140 ml lime juice
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce

Method

  • 1
    For marinade, pound peppercorns, coriander seeds, a pinch of salt, coriander roots and garlic in a mortar and pestle to a rough paste. Transfer to a large bowl with oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and vinegar; stir well to combine. Add pork neck and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 120°C. For toasting makrut lime leaves and rice, place leaves and rice on separate oven trays and bake, turning occasionally, until toasted, dry and have no colour (4 hours). Heat a large frying pan over high heat, add toasted leaves and cook, tossing frequently, until golden (10 minutes). Cool, then transfer to a high speed blender and blend until a coarse sandy texture. Set aside. Repeat with rice.
  • 3
    Preheat a lightly greased barbecue or chargrill pan to high. For charring and blistering vegetables, barbecue tomatoes, garlic, red shallots and chilli, turning frequently, until charred and blistered (15 minutes). Transfer to a large oven tray and stand until cooled.
  • 4
    For sauce, place palm sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until melted (5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce; set aside to cool completely.
  • 5
    Place remaining ingredients in a large deep mortar and pestle and pound to a paste. Add charred and blistered vegetables and continue to pound to a paste until everything is combined. Set aside. Makes 550gm.
  • 6
    Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat a large frying pan with oil over medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade and shake off excess. Add pork to pan and cook, turning frequently, until pork is browned all over (6 minutes). Remove from pan and place on an oven tray. Roast until cooked (35-40 minutes) or until juices run clear when pierced in the centre; rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Arrange on a platter with radicchio leaves and snow pea tendrils and scatter with sliced spring onions. Serve with nahm jim jaew and ground roasted rice and makrut lime leaf powder on the side.

Notes

If pork neck isn't available, substitute two pork cheeks. Toasted ground rice powder can be made ahead and stored in the pantry or fridge. Use it as a thickener in soups or in dishes for texture. If you do not have a large mortar and pestle, use a food processor.

The Latest from Gourmet Traveller