Mu yang nam tok by John Chantarasak

Grilled Ibérico pork secreto with herbal ‘nam tok’ salad and roasted rice powder.

Details:

• Dish type: Main / Salad
• Cuisine: Thai
• Serves 4 (as part of a Thai main meal)
• Prep time: 30 minutes (plus overnight marination)
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes

Marinade ingredients:

• 3g black peppercorn – ground to a powder
• 10g coriander root (or stem) – finely chopped
• 35g garlic – finely chopped
• 10g palm sugar
• 17g fish sauce
• 10g ketjap manis (or sweet dark soy sauce)
• 10g oyster sauce
• 20g whiskey (or bourbon)
• 7g vegetable oil

Ibérico Pork ‘Nam Tok’ Salad ingredients:

• 100g uncooked rice (to make roasted rice powder – method below)
• 600g Ibérico pork secreto (or pork neck/coppa cut)
• 120g lime juice
• 100g fish sauce
• 30g water
• 30g caster sugar
• 5g roasted chilli powder
• Handful picked coriander leaves
• Handful picked mint leaves
• 2 spring onions – thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion – thinly sliced
• 3 sticks lemongrass – thinly sliced
• 8 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen) – thinly sliced

How to make:

1. Make the roasted rice powder by dry toasting the uncooked rice in a heavy based pan over a medium heat. Continually move the rice so that the grains turn a deep golden brown and smell toasty and nutty, around 5 mins. Transfer to a granite mortar and pestle, then grind into a somewhat coarse powder. This will add texture and a nutty flavour to the salad. This will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container.
2. Combine all the marinade ingredients together and mix well. Add the Ibérico pork secreto and leave to marinate overnight, this will impart flavour and will help to tenderise the meat.
3. Grill the pork over a medium-high heat to give nice caramelisation and colour. If using Ibérico pork secreto, be careful when grilling as this cut is particularly thin and will cook quickly. Allow the meat to rest well before thinly slicing against the grain of the meat.
4. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar and roasted chilli powder to create a dressing. This should taste spicy, sour and salty. Reserve for use later.
5. Combine the coriander, mint, spring onions, red onion, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf together in a mixing bowl, add enough dressing to nicely coat the salad without drowning and toss gently together.
6. Arrange the sliced pork on a large sharing plate, dress with the herbal salad then garnish with toasted rice powder. Serve as part of a Thai main meal with steamed rice.

Wine

Staffelter Hof ‘Little Bastard’ 2019. Muller Thurgau, Muscat, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc blend from Staffelter Hof in Kröv, Mosel. Epic natural juice with notes of tropical fruit and gentle floral characteristics. Pairs wonderfully with spicy, acidic dishes found in Thai cuisine. Available to purchase through Modal Wines in the UK.

Wine choice by Desiree Chantarasak of AngloThai