Moo Pad Gratiem Prik Thai (Pork Fried with Garlic and Pepper)

Right, I promise no more pork for a while after this, but this one is a little different this time- This dish is a common one you’ll find in Thai restaurants over here and in Thailand but using chopped pork ribs is much more common in Thailand and, to be honest, much more satisfying as you have to get a bit messy and get hands on with your food.

You’ll need for two:

• about 6 meaty pork ribs, use a cleaver to cut them into inch long pieces (please use a good solid wooden chopping board- I did this on my plastic meat board and chopped it into two!)


• a whole bulb of garlic, finely chopped


• a very large pinch of ground pepper


• a small pinch of sugar


• a big splash of light soy sauce


• a big splash of oyster sauce


• lots of vegetable oil for frying

Heat a deep pan or wok with the vegetable oil. When it’s medium hot, add in the rib pieces. You want them to cook fairly slowly, that way they’ll get really crispy. If the oils too hot, they will cook too fast on the outside and not all the way through. They will probably need 10-15 minutes deep frying. When they’re brown and crispy, drain onto paper towels.

Empty out the wok and add a small splash of cooking oil. Heat the wok onto high, throw in all the garlic for just a few seconds before tossing the ribs back in with the two sauces and the sugar and pepper, stir fry for just another minute or so and turn out onto your serving plate. Sprinkle a bit more pepper over the ribs and serve with a salad- it’ll balance out the deep fried pork and you’ll think you’re being at least vaguely healthy!