Recipes

Spicy Pork Belly Soup

Tom Yum Moo Saam Chan

Slow-simmered pork belly in a spicy, sour lemongrass and galangal broth

Prep

10 min

Cook

80 min

Serves

4

Heat

hot

This tom yum takes far longer than the usual quick shrimp version, but that time is what makes it special: pork belly simmers slowly in a lemongrass and galangal broth until the layers of skin, fat, and meat turn soft and rich, well beyond what a fast-cooking protein could offer. Whole shallots and cherry tomatoes go in only once the pork is tender, followed by morning glory just long enough to wilt, and the broth gets its final balance from a generous hit of fresh lime juice and fish sauce added at the very end. It's a soup rarely found on restaurant menus simply because of the time investment, which makes it more of a home-cooking specialty.

Ingredients

• 533 g Pork belly (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1-2 stalks Lemongrass (cracked, bottom cut into pieces)
• 3-4 slices Galangal root (sliced, cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 7 Garlic, large cloves (peeled, some ground with chili)
• 12 Red shallots (peeled, left whole)
• 12 Cherry tomatoes, small
• 13 stalks Water morning glory (cut into 4-6 inch pieces)
• 7 Thai hot chilies (stems removed, lightly cracked)
• 5 Fresh limes (juiced)
• 9 Kaffir lime leaves (a couple reserved whole for garnish, rest torn for the broth)
• 1 1/3 tablespoons Coconut sugar
• 2 3/4 tablespoons Fish sauce (to taste)
• 6.5 cups Water (as needed)

Directions

1. Peel the shallots, keeping them whole. Peel the garlic. Crack the lemongrass stalk with a knife handle and cut the bottom portion into pieces. Cut the galangal into 1-inch pieces.
2. Set aside a couple of nice kaffir lime leaves for garnish. Tear the center stems from the rest and set aside for the broth.
3. Squeeze the limes to get the juice. Remove the stems from the chilies and lightly crack them with a knife handle to release their flavor.
4. Cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes. Grind some of the garlic with one chili into a rough paste.
5. Heat oil in a medium soup pot with a lid. Fry the garlic-chili paste over low heat for about 30 seconds. Add the coconut sugar and a splash of water, stirring until the water evaporates and the sugar melts.
6. Add the pork belly and fry until well browned, stirring often.
7. Add the water, lemongrass, galangal, torn kaffir lime pieces, and cracked chilies. Bring to a boil.
8. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to maintain the broth level.
9. Once the pork is soft (continue cooking longer if needed), season with the lime juice and fish sauce. Stir and taste, adding more lime for sour or more fish sauce for salty until balanced. Add the whole shallots and cook about 10 more minutes.
10. Add the morning glory and cherry tomatoes. Cook about 5 more minutes, until the tomatoes just start to crack open.
11. Serve in a shared bowl or individual bowls, arranging the ingredients so they show above the broth. Garnish with the reserved kaffir lime leaves and a little cilantro or celery top. Serve with steamed rice.

Notes

Season with lime and fish sauce only after the pork is fully tender, not before — tasting too early leads to over-adjusting, since the broth's character shifts as the pork continues to render fat into it.

Substitutions

Pork ribs can substitute for pork belly, though the cooking time may need to be adjusted slightly since they contain less fat to render.