Moo Hong (Stewed Pork)

I've been looking forward to making this sticky, sweet braised pork dish for a while now and it did not disappoint. Moo Hong belongs to a family of similar Chinese influenced, dark coloured stews that also includes khao kha moo (stewed pork leg) and moo paloe (pork braised with eggs). They all share some common ingredients: soy sauce, star anise, long cooking time and fatty cuts of pork but it's down to the consistency and what they're served with that makes for some subtle differences.

Moo Hong uses large chunks of belly pork and is cooked down until you're left with a rich, peppery, sweet and sticky sauce and meat that is soft and unctuous. Although it needs just over an hour to cook it's very easy to make.

For two large portions use:

• 400g of pork belly, rind removed and cut into inch square pieces. Try to find a piece that is fairly even in thickness and has a good meat/fat ratio
• half a bulb garlic, peeled
• a dessert spoon of black peppercorns
• a small handful of coriander roots or stalks (roots seem impossible to find in the UK)
• a golf ball size chunk of palm (or light brown) sugar
• 3 star anise
• a big splash of oyster sauce
• a big splash of light soy sauce
• a big splash of dark sweet soy sauce (I use Indonesian kecap manis)
• 2-3 cups of water (you may need a bit more)
• small splash of oil for frying

Make a well blended paste by bashing the black pepper, palm sugar, garlic and coriander in a mortar; by adding the harder ingredients first and adding the softer ones last you should end up with a fairly smooth paste.

Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a deep pan until medium hot. Carefully add in the cubed pork belly and fry for 3-4 minutes until some of the fat has rendered out and the pork is lightly browned. Pour off the excess fat from the pan (there'll be plenty in the dish as the pork cooks down).

Pop in the spice paste and stir well for a moment or two; the sugar in the paste will make the pork sticky but be careful not to let it sit and burn. 

Pour hot water over to just cover the pork then add in the rest of the ingredients (sauces and star anise). The sauce will be dark but very thin. Pop on a lid and lower the heat to a gentle simmer, let the pork reduce and cook down for around 75-90 minutes. Check it and stir gently every now and again, making sure there's still enough liquid; top up with a little water if need be.

The final sauce should be thick and sticky (of a honey- like consistency). Serve with freshly cooked rice and some extra coriander.

Pad See Ew (Soy Sauce Noodles)

Finally, we’re having a break from pork with this super quick vegetarian noodle dish. It’s pretty standard street food fare up and down Thailand. Can become meaty, this is a tofu-ey version. This doesn’t require any complicated ingredients, everything can be easily found in a regular supermarket. Ready to eat in about 10 minutes!

For one person (multiply as needed for more portions)

• a small handful of dried rice stick noodles


• a fist sized chunk of broccoli, stem and floret, cut into small pieces


• a small handful of mange tout (or other crunchy veg)


• 1 egg


• half a pack of tofu (it freezes/thaws very well)


• 2 big cloves of garlic, finely sliced


• a small pinch sugar


• a splash of light soy sauce


• a splash of dark soy sauce


• a pinch of pepper


• 1-2 chillies, chopped and mixed in white wine vinegar, for sprinkling


• veg oil for frying

Start by chopping chillies and let them ‘pickle’ in the vinegar while you make the dish. You can make big batches of this and keep it covered in the fridge for your next Thai meal. 

Next, start soaking your dried rice noodles in warm water for about ten minutes- you don’t want them to feel soggy, just slightly softened.

Heat the oil in a wok, throw in the garlic and stir fry for a few seconds before adding the drained noodles, let them sit and get a bit crispy on the bottom before stir frying again. Add in the vegetables and fry for a minute before shoving these to one side of the wok, breaking in the egg and let it just sit and cook for 30 seconds, gently break up and let it sit again for another 30 seconds, break it up, sit for another 30 seconds, break it up and stir everything together. Throw in the tofu and stir/toss gently to mix everything through before adding the pepper, sugar and dark and light soy sauces, Toss through for a few more seconds before turning everything out onto a plate. Sprinkle over a bit more pepper and as much of the chillies in vinegar as you like.