Deep Fried Sun-Dried Pork
Moo Dad Deaw
Sun-dried pork strips fried to a soft, golden, sesame-scented snack
- Prep
- 180 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- mild
Moo Dad Deaw gets its name from the drying method: strips of pork are marinated, then left out in direct sun for a few hours until only partly dried, not hard the way jerky is. That short sun-drying step concentrates the marinade's flavor and firms up the outside of the meat just enough that a quick dip in hot oil turns it deeply golden while the inside stays soft and juicy. It's the kind of snack built for sharing, torn apart by hand at a table with raw vegetables and sticky rice close by.
Ingredients
- 200 g Pork tenderloin (trimmed, sliced into thin 2-inch strips)
- 2 Coriander root (cleaned and finely chopped)
- 1-2 Garlic, large cloves (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon White pepper, finely ground
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Oyster sauce
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Sesame seed
Directions
- Trim any fat or skin from the pork and slice it into thin strips about 2 inches long. Grind or finely chop the coriander root and garlic together into a fine, wet paste.
- Combine the paste with the white pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sesame seed in a bowl. Add the pork strips and toss until evenly coated. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour.
- Spread the marinated strips on a wire rack or flat pan so air can move around them. Set in direct, hot sun for 2 to 4 hours, turning a few times so they dry evenly. They're ready when the marinade has dried onto the surface and the meat is still soft and pliable, not hard like jerky.
- Heat enough oil in a deep pan for the pork to float freely, to around 284F/140C. Fry the strips in batches for about a minute, until golden brown. Keep the oil at a moderate temperature so the sesame seeds toast without burning.
- Serve warm with a spicy dipping sauce, crisp raw vegetables like cabbage, green beans, or cucumber, and warm sticky rice.
Notes
Keep the frying oil on the lower end of deep-frying temperature — too hot and the sesame seeds scorch and turn bitter before the pork cooks through.
Substitutions
Beef works in place of pork for an equally good result. If sun-drying isn't practical, a low oven (around 150F/65C) with the door cracked for 2 to 3 hours will dry the strips in a similar way, though the flavor will be a touch less concentrated.