In honor of Father's Day, here is my version of a dish that my parents used to make for me all the time as a kid. Whenever I order this in Thai restaurants, it never tastes as good as the way my dad and mom made it. Also, in some restaurants, they use pieces of meat instead of ground meat. I don't know which is more authentic, but I like using ground meat because that's what I grew up on. And I like the texture that the ground meat adds.
What gives this dish it's unique flavor is the Thai basil. Do NOT try to substitute Italian or sweet basil in this dish. It's not the same. Thai basil is spicier than Italian basil, and it's very fragrant.
PAD KRAPAO MU - THAI BASIL PORK
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large cloves of garlic, minced
8 thai chile peppers, finely sliced
2 lbs of lean ground pork
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sherry or dry wine
2 packets Splenda
1 1/2 cups of Thai basil leaves
1) In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2) Add minced garlic and chile peppers. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
3) Add in the ground pork and break into small clumps. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4) Stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, and sherry. Continue cooking until pork is cooked through.
5) Add in the Splenda and basil leaves. Cook for an additional minute or until the basil leaves or wilted.
Serve with rice.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Ed's 1st Note: You could also make this dish with ground beef or ground chicken.
PS. Check out other herb-related recipes at Weekend Herb Blogging. This week's recap will be hosted by Virginie at Absolutely Green.
20 comments:
Wow! That looks fantastic! I wonder though.. where do you pick up Thai basil? Would an Asian grocery story carry the fresh variety? Could I use dried if fresh wasn't available? Way to go, Ed - yummy sounding dish and a gorgeous picture to boot :D
Ed, that looks really great! That is something that I would eat and might be able to serve to one of my clients who loves oriental food. Do you think it would freeze and then thaw well? I think I would really love to try this!!
Ok, I've bookmarked it!! Sounds great.
sounds yummy-and making dishes from your past is cool but olive oil in a thai dish-have you ever used rice oil from thailand????
lis - Thanks! I think you'll be more likely to to find spicy basil in an Asian supermarket versus a regular grocery store. I've never seen spicy basil in dried form but I have come across it frozen. But as with any herb, fresh is best. If worse comes to worse, then you could always grown your own. =)
Vickie - Yes, I actually think this would freeze and thaw pretty well. If your clients like it spicy, then you could even up the # of peppers you use. This is one of those dishes that also tastes great the next day as leftovers.
Kalyn - Let me know what you think! You may need to add salt or pepper to your liking.
Anonymous - hah hah! So true. Olive oil is not typically found in Thai dishes. But, I was trying to be healthy. And I like to use Bertolli extra light which has a milder flavor. I've never tried using rice oil, but it sounds good. Thanks for the suggestion,
I love mince pork with holy basil! Oh, i'm getting hungry with the sight of this. Very nice with boiled jasmine rice and a bit of 'ung choi/kangkong' on the side... ooooh.
Mae - Oooh! You'll have to share your recipe for ung choi! I love that stuff!
I have one in the old website which i will try and transfer to my new one very soon...
Mae - Oooh! I can't wait!
Does anyone know if Thai Basil freezes well? I have had success freezing Italian basil after chopping and adding olive oil but haven't tried it with Thai Basil. Right now, I have enough Thai Basil in my garden to sink a ship!! I didn't expect ALL my seeds to take but they are absolutely gorgeous fragrant plants I would hate to waste them. Still searching on the internet for a good way to freeze some for winter.
Herb Lady - I have a bunch of Thai basil in the freezer right now. Mae (see her link above) had a post on her blog where she mentions that she's had pretty good success with freezing thai basil.
I thought they always uses the fish sauce for the recipe? Correct me if I'm wrong at my email please.
Thanks
Rach
Rachel - Yes, most recipes call for 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce to taste. As a kid, I always complained to my parents about the smell of fish sauce so they eventually stopped using it in the dished they made for me and my brother. I think this dish is fine without it, but you can definitely add it in.
Hi Ed Tep - can i call u ed for short
Well... i tried with oyster sauce and fish sauce but somehow it taste different from the stores i tried in Bangkok.
Something is different but i couldnt identify. I tried adding fish sauce and it taste really salty and yes it smells a lot.
Rachel - Yes, my apologies, I should have remembered to suggest that you lower the amount of soy sauce if you want to add the fish sauce. I think that different restuarants and different regions of Thailand may have minor variations on this dish. If you figure out how to make it like you remember it, then I would love to hear about it. Thank you.
interesting recipe! i'm thai myself, and of course my recipes a tiny bit different (mostly the same though). also, i'm a college student right now so while i'm at school & cooking i tend to use only the most basic ingredients: meat, garlic, onions, soy sauce, and BASIL. meh, it works.
what interested me, though, is that you put sherry/dry wine and splenda in it. we're from NE thailand (isaan) and therefore prefer our food to be less sweet than central thailand. my boyfriend, on the other hand is from the south and puts sugar and rice wine in e-v-e-r-ything. and 'broth'
what area is your family from, if you dont mind my asking?
im making it now, smells soooo good. thx for the recepie.
I've bookmarked this! I'll try it next time I cook Thai! Thanks for the recipe! BTW, your blog looks great!
Cooking Fool - Thanks! Hope you like it!
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