Sticky Thai Pork

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5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Calories: 418kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Pork & Sauce

15 ml Peanut Oil
500 g Pork Mince 18% Fat
3 Garlic Cloves Sliced
90 g Palm Sugar
37.5 ml Fish Sauce
6 Lime Leaves Thinly Sliced
80 g Unsalted Peanuts Chopped
60 g Fried Shallots Optional
20 g Coriander (Cilantro) Chopped
½ Lime Juiced
1 Long Red Chilli Sliced
Coriander (Cilantro) Garnish
Fried Shallots Garnish

Vegetables

15 ml Peanut Oil
8 Broccolini Trimmed
1 Bok Choy Washed & Sliced
Salt & Pepper To Taste
5 ml Sesame Oil Optional

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Spread the peanuts onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and roughly chop. Set aside.
Place a wok over high heat. Once hot, add the peanut oil and pork mince and fry for 4 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink and it reaches an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F). Add the sliced garlic and fry for 1 minute. Remove and place into a bowl for the time being.
Place the wok back over medium-high heat, add the palm sugar (or brown sugar), fish sauce and kaffir lime leaves. Mix to combine and melt the sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally for 1 minute or until slightly reduced and thickened. Add the pork and garlic mix into the sauce along with ¾ of the roasted, chopped peanuts and ¾ of the fried shallots, mix to combine, and fry for 1 minute. Add the coriander, lime juice, and the remaining peanuts and fried shallots. Turn off the heat, mix to combine, and remove from the stovetop.

Vegetables

Place a pan over high heat. Once hot, add the peanut oil, broccolini and sea salt flakes to taste, and sauté for 3 minutes or until slightly soft and browned. Add the baby pak choy and sauté for 2 minutes or until slightly soft and wilted. Turn off the heat, add the sesame oil (optional), check for seasoning, and remove from the stovetop.

Serving

Place the sautéed vegetables onto a plate, serve the sticky pork over the top, and garnish with chilli, coriander, a sprinkle of fried shallots, and lime wedges. Dig in.

Chef's Tips

Let the sugar mixture come to a full boil and reduce until visibly thickened before adding the pork back in — this is what gives the dish its sticky, glossy coating rather than a thin, watery sauce.

The method holds back a portion of the peanuts and fried shallots until the very end — adding them off the heat keeps their crunch instead of letting them go soft in the hot sauce.

Cook the vegetables in a very hot pan without overcrowding it — this is what gives the broccolini and pak choy some char rather than steaming them.

Storage & Reheating

The pork will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in a wok or pan over medium heat until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. The sautéed vegetables and garnishes (peanuts, fried shallots, coriander) are best made fresh and don't reheat well — cook these fresh if prepping the pork ahead.

Serving 320gCalories 418kcalCarbohydrates 36.6gProtein 34.4gFat 16.2gSaturated Fat 2.7gPolyunsaturated Fat 4.45gMonounsaturated Fat 7.73gCholesterol 81.3mgSodium 1029.7mgPotassium 933.8mgFiber 4.4gSugar 26.9gVitamin A 364.24IUVitamin C 54.78mgCalcium 82mgIron 2.6mg