Ka Muu Palo ขาหมูพะโล้ Five Spice Pork Leg Stew

This is another Thai dish of Chinese origin.  If you are familiar with Teowchew soy braised meat dishes (滷肉) you will be able to pick up the similarities. Like all Chinese dishes found in South East Asia the migrants have added a touch of local flavours - in this dish it is the coriander roots, fish sauce and palm sugar of course. With the melt in your mouth skin and meat, the sticky rich sauce and the beautiful aromas that linger on long after you have finished your meal, it is not difficult to know why this is one of the top ten lunch time favourites in Thailand. If your are a tofu lover, cube and fry some firm tofu and add them in at the same time as the eggs.

P.S We had this over the weekend when carb is allowed.

serves 2 to 4 as a one dish meal
you'll need;
2 pork leg (front leg)
4 to 6 eggs, boiled and shelled
4 coriander roots, chopped
12 white peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cassia barks
1 star anise
2 tbs of palm sugar
5 slices of ginger
5 cloves of garlic
5 tbs of light soy
2 tbs of fish sauce
2 tbs of sweet soy
1 tbs of five spice powder
stock or water
steamed rice to serve
sliced pickled mustard greens to serve
blanched kailan to serve

for the chili sauce;
5 bird chillies, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbs of sugar
5 tbs of fish sauce
juice of one lime
Pound chillies, garlic and sugar to a paste and mix in the fish sauce and lime juice. Check for seasonings and adjust the taste to your liking.

Pound garlic, coriander roots and white peppercorns to a paste.

Fry the spice paste with a little oil for 5 minutes then add in the cassia bark and star anise and continue to fry for a minute. Next add in the palm sugar and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add pork legs and fry for a minute before adding enough stock or water to completely submerge the pork legs. Add seasonings, ginger and garlic and simmer for 2 hours or until the pork is very tender.

Add hard boiled eggs and tofu (if using) and cook for a further 10 minutes. Check for seasonings.

Halve the eggs and have the rest of the accompaniments.

Serve sliced pork leg with rice together with some blanched kailan, eggs, pickled mustard greens and chili sauce.