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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Colonel Ian F. Khuntilanont-Philpott
This dish is made with belly pork. There are a number of reasons for this: on the pragmatic level the Thais tend to use all of an animal, and this is a way of using the rather fatty belly pork. Secondly the style of cooking means that the dish is cooked in the pork fat itself, which enhances the flavor, and thirdly, the fatty meat absorbs the additional flavors and so tastes better.
My wife prepared this for our dinner last night, and cooked it in an iron wok, as always. The pork tends to stick, and so it is quite a difficult job cleaning up afterwards. Consequently I am going to suggest that you use a non-stick stir fry pan or sauté pan for this dish if available. The wok or pan should be quite hot, so as to sear the pork and render the fat quickly. If the pan is too cold it will tend to become leathery and "chewy".
My recipe notes indicate that the sliced chilis are 'optional'. You can also reduce the amount of red curry paste used quite substantially without too much adverse affect on the authenticity of the dish.
The sliced prik yuat are a Thai variety which is hard to find outside Thailand. Known as the Thai Bell Pepper, you could easily substitute ordinary bell peppers for this ingredient.
The long beans used in Thailand are known as tua phak yao. I have seen these sold in the West as "Yak's Tails". If unavailable ordinary green long beans can be used.
1 pound of belly pork, cut into small dice.
2 cups of long beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup of prik yuat (green Thai bell peppers), sliced
½ cup of prik yuat daeng (red Thai bell peppers), sliced
3 tablespoons of red curry paste
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of nam prik pao (roasted chilis in oil)
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of palm sugar
1 tablespoon of prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground
Heat a wok (see above), and then add the belly pork and stir fry until it turns brown, and the fat crispens and reduces. If it becomes too dry add a very small amount of peanut oil.
Add the curry paste, and stir fry to combine, then add the fish sauce, chili oil, garlic, sugar, chilis and pepper, and stir fry for about two minutes stirring continuously to combine the flavors and mix well.
Add the bell peppers and stir fry until they just begin to soften, then add the long beans and stir fry until heated through (about 30 seconds).
Serve with steamed white jasmine rice.