Tom Saeb (Hot & Sour Pork Rib Soup)

This will probably be the last Thai soup for a while now; the weather is beginning to warm up here so thoughts are turning to lighter meals. This is a great comfort dish though and with it’s powerful herbal broth is definitely going to do you some good and help fight off any colds. It is fairly similar to two other Thai soups I featured before Tom Yum Goong (this has prawns, mushrooms, chilli paste and a little sweetness) and Tom Yum Boran (has beansprouts, peanuts, pork slices and noodles). This is apparently a pretty fashionable dish in Thailand right now; don’t ask me why though!
For two portions use:

• 4/5 small/medium pork ribs,use a cleaver or ask your butcher to chop them into inch pieces
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 4 dried red chillies
• (optional) 3 or 4 small birds eye chillies
• 5/6 kaffir lime leaves, ripped up
• a chunk of galangal, cut into slices
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 stalks of lemon grass, sliced
• a small handful of fresh coriander
• juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
• a big splash of fish sauce
• 4 cups of water

Into a large pan add the water, pork ribs, dried and (if using fresh chillies), kaffir lime leaves, garlic, galangal and lemon grass and turn on the heat. Cooking the ribs in the liquid will create the stock that will give your soup all of its rich flavour. Cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes or so, the ribs won’t fall off the bone but should be soft. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to sieve out all the tough herbs- lime leaves, galangal and lemon grass (unless you want to leave them in). Drop in the spring onions and fresh coriander. Give it a stir, then turn the heat off and pour in the fish sauce and lime juice. Stir briefly before serving.