Moo Manoa (Garlic Lime Pork)
This garlic lime pork has all of the complexities of Thai food: sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. Pork is the traditional protein used in this dish, but you can use beef, chicken, or shrimp. This recipe is fairly healthy and easy to make. You can eat moo manoa as an appetizer or main course. This can be eaten not just as a salad. Why couldn’t pork go into a taco and the cabbage be tossed with the mint and dressing, topping the taco? Why not put the pork on a toasted baguette with the same cabbage and mint salad? Smoke deeper and expand your mind.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork sirloin sliced less than 1/4” thick
- 6 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cups cabbage shredded
Dressing
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 Thai chilies 2 red, 2 green
- 3 tbsp palm sugar chopped
- 6 tbsp lime juice
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
Garnish
- mint leaves roughly torn
Instructions
Velveting the Pork
- Mix together the water, cornstarch, soy sauce, and vegetable oil.
- Add in the sliced pork and marinate for 20 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to a hard boil. Drop in the pork and cook for just 30 seconds.
- Scoop out and set aside.
Dressing
- Pound the garlic, chilies, and palm sugar to a paste in a mortar and pestle.
- Add in the lime juice and fish sauce. Keep pounding.
- Stir in the cilantro.
Assembly
- Top the shredded cabbage with the pork. Spoon the dressing over the pork. Garnish with mints leaves.
