Moo Wan – sweet pork from Thailand

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 pieces of pork belly, preferably lean, or alternatively well-marbled pork neck
• 1 onion(s) or approx. 4 – 5 shallots
• 2 tsp soy sauce, light
• 2 tsp soy sauce, dark, sweet
• ¾ cup water
• 100 g palm sugar, dry
• 2 tbsp oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

easy preparation in a wok

The cup you use has a capacity of approximately 250 ml. Slice the onion or shallots into thin rings. If using a large, sweet onion, halve the rings. Cut the belly meat crosswise into bite-sized strips about 1 cm wide. Because the rind doesn’t crisp up in this dish, I remove it. If necessary, crush the palm sugar to help it dissolve. Heat the wok without oil until the residual oil is smoking. This improves the non-stick properties of iron and cast iron woks. This step is not necessary for coated woks. Then add 2 tablespoons of oil and toss the wok briefly. Stir-fry the onion or shallot rings until they begin to color. Add the meat. Note: If the wok isn’t hot enough or the quantity has been increased, work in batches to prevent the meat from cooking. It needs to brown. Stir until the meat is no longer pink. Add the light soy sauce, the dark soy sauce, and a little later—this allows the dark soy sauce to caramelize slightly—the water. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and allow to reduce slightly. If the liquid in the wok becomes too dry, add a little water. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Let the dish simmer a little longer until the liquid becomes noticeably thick. Moo Wan is not usually used as a meat side dish, but rather as a “starter” sprinkled with some chopped cilantro or spring onions. But it can also be prepared as a main course. Serve with rice, preferably fried with shrimp paste, and sprinkled with spring onions, garlic chips, and cilantro. Cucumber makes a refreshing side dish.