How to make Moo Pad Preaw Wan (Sweet and Sour Pork) at home
Moo Pad Preaw Wan, also known as Sweet and Sour Pork, is a delicious Thai dish that combines the flavors of sweet, sour, and savory. Here's a detailed recipe to make this flavorful dish:
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife For chopping and preparing ingredients like pork, vegetables, and garnishes.
- Shallow Dish: For dredging the pork in flour before frying.
- Large Skillet or Wok: This is the primary cooking vessel for stir-frying the pork and vegetables.
- Slotted spoon To remove the fried pork from the oil and drain any excess oil.
- Paper towels For draining and blotting excess oil from the fried pork.
- Small Saucepan: For preparing the sweet and sour sauce.
- Stirring Utensils: Wooden or silicone spatulas or a pair of chopsticks are useful for stirring and tossing the ingredients.
- Measuring cups and spoons For accurately measuring ingredients, especially for the sweet and sour sauce.
- Bowls You'll need bowls for mixing the sauce, holding prepared ingredients, and serving.
- Whisk To mix and dissolve ingredients when making the sweet and sour sauce.
- Tongs Handy for flipping and handling the pork while frying.
- Cooking Thermometer: If you want to ensure that the oil reaches the right frying temperature for the pork.
- Plates and Serving Platter: For serving the finished dish and garnishes.
- Ladle or Pouring Spout: To transfer the sweet and sour sauce onto the stir-fried ingredients.
- Rice cooker or pot, If you plan to serve the dish with steamed rice, you'll need the appropriate equipment to cook the rice.
- Peeler: If you're peeling the cucumber or any other vegetables.
- Can opener If you're using canned pineapple chunks.
- Strainer or colander To strain or rinse any ingredients if necessary.
Ingredients
For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp Thai chili sauce or Sriracha (adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)
For the Pork and Vegetables:
- 450 g boneless pork loin or pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, cut into chunks
- 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded, and sliced (for garnish)
- 1-2 tomatoes, cut into wedges (for garnish)
- Pineapple chunks (optional, for garnish)
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Steamed rice, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- In a small saucepan, combine white vinegar, water, sugar, ketchup, Thai chili sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch-water mixture and continue to cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare the Pork:
- Place the flour in a shallow dish.
- Dredge the pork pieces in the flour, making sure they are evenly coated.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Fry the pork pieces in batches until they are golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per batch.
- Remove the fried pork with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Cook the Vegetables:
- In the same skillet or wok, remove excess oil, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons.
- Add the onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Combine Everything:
- Return the fried pork to the skillet with the cooked vegetables.
- Pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce over the pork and vegetables.
- Gently toss everything together and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to heat through and allow the flavors to meld.
Serve:
- Transfer the Moo Pad Preaw Wan to a serving platter.
- Garnish with cucumber slices, tomato wedges, pineapple chunks (if using), and fresh cilantro leaves.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
Notes
- Prep Work: Make sure to have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking, as stir-frying is a quick process, and you'll want to have everything at hand.
- Pork Selection: You can use either pork loin or pork shoulder for this dish. Pork loin is leaner and will result in a slightly healthier version, while pork shoulder will be more tender and flavorful. It's a matter of personal preference.
- Frying Pork: When frying the pork, make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the pork pieces. You can test it by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil; if it sizzles and turns golden brown quickly, it's ready. Be cautious when adding the pork to avoid splattering.
- Draining Excess Oil: After frying the pork, drain it on paper towels to remove any excess oil and maintain the dish's crispiness.
- Adjusting Sweetness and Sourness: Taste the sweet and sour sauce as you make it and adjust the sugar and vinegar to your preferred level of sweetness and sourness. You can also adjust the spiciness by adding more or less Thai chili sauce or Sriracha.
- Thickening Sauce: If you like a thicker sauce, use the optional cornstarch-water mixture to thicken it. Add it gradually and stir constantly to avoid lumps.
- Vegetable Variations: Feel free to customize the vegetables to your liking. Snow peas, carrots, or baby corn are excellent additions or substitutions.
- Garnish: The garnishes like cucumber, tomatoes, pineapple, and fresh cilantro add freshness and vibrancy to the dish. Don't skip them if possible.
- Serving: Moo Pad Preaw Wan is traditionally served with steamed rice, but you can also enjoy it with noodles or on its own as a stir-fry.