Recipes

Southern Thai Stewed Pork Belly

Moo Hong

Southern Thai pork belly braised in a sweet, peppery star anise gravy

Prep

10 min

Cook

60 min

Serves

4

Heat

mild

Moo Hong keeps its spicing deliberately minimal compared to its cousin dish Moo Palo, leaning on just star anise rather than a full five-spice blend, which lets the sweetness of coconut sugar and the sharp bite of black pepper come through more distinctly. The pork belly gets fried separately first for color before joining a paste of garlic, coriander root, and pepper that's cooked down until thick and sticky, and the whole pot then simmers low and slow until the gravy reduces into something rich enough to coat each piece of meat. A short rest after cooking lets the oils settle, which is part of what gives the finished dish its glossy, well-composed look at the table.

Ingredients

• 1.6 lb Pork belly (cut into 1-inch squares)
• 4 Coriander root (cleaned, finely chopped)
• 1 1/4 tablespoons Garlic (finely chopped)
• 3/4 tablespoon Black peppercorns
• 3 Star anise
• 2 1/3 tablespoons Coconut sugar
• 1 2/3 tablespoons Oyster sauce
• 1 2/3 tablespoons Light soy sauce
• 1 2/3 tablespoons Dark sweet soy sauce
• 1 2/3 teaspoons Salt
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil (for the sauce base)
• 1 1/2 cups Vegetable oil (for frying the pork belly)

Directions

1. Cut the pork belly into 1-inch squares. Clean and finely chop the garlic and coriander root.
2. Grind the garlic, coriander root, peppercorns, and coconut sugar together in a mortar and pestle into a thick, sticky paste with small bits of pepper still visible.
3. Heat the frying oil to about 140C/284F in a wok. Fry the pork belly slowly until just lightly browned — not crisp like bacon, just colored.
4. In a separate pot, heat the tablespoon of oil and stir in the herb paste. Fry until the sugar melts and the paste turns thick and sticky.
5. Add the fried pork to the paste and stir until well coated and the pot looks dry and sticky.
6. Add just enough water to barely cover the pork and stir well. Add the soy sauces, oyster sauce, salt, and star anise. Bring to a hard boil for a minute.
7. Reduce heat until barely simmering, cover, and cook slowly for about an hour, checking and stirring every 10 minutes. Add water only if needed — the goal is a thick, rich gravy.
8. The stew is done when the pork is soft and juicy and the gravy has reduced to a thick, rich sauce. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the oils settle a little.
9. Serve family-style in a shared bowl, garnished with cilantro just before serving.

Notes

Fry the pork belly separately until just lightly browned before it goes into the braising sauce — that initial color and rendered fat is what gives the finished gravy its depth.

Substitutions

This dish keeps its spicing minimal by tradition — resist the urge to add extra spices like cinnamon or cloves if you want the more distinct, authentic flavor rather than something closer to Moo Palo.