Khao Kha Moo

Pailin Chongchitnant’s selected khao kha moo serves slow-braised pork leg and its salty-sweet sauce over jasmine rice. Boiled eggs and pickled mustard greens join the rice plate, with selected optional blanched gai lan alongside.

The washed pork leg can be seared to brown its skin before entering the stockpot. Water covers the leg and selected optional pork foot, with Golden Mountain sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, selected black soy and palm sugar seasoning the first simmer.

Cilantro roots, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, Szechuan and white peppercorns, galangal and shiitake join the pot after the initial simmer is skimmed. The long covered braise continues until the meat is fork-tender; boiled eggs and pickled mustard greens enter towards the end.

The pork, greens and eggs are lifted out, and the remaining herbs and spices are removed from the sauce. More soy and oyster sauce adjust the seasoning, with extra black soy only if a darker colour is wanted, before bite-sized pork is carved over the rice.

The plate receives egg, chopped pickled mustard greens, optional gai lan and a generous spooning of braising sauce. A separately blended, optional chili vinegar brings spur chilies and garlic together with white vinegar, sugar and salt.