Thai-Inspired Lemongrass Pork With Coconut Milk

Preparation time: 60-90 minutes | Serves: 2-4 people

This recipe is loosely inspired by a dish I had at a famous Thai restaurant in Sydney called Pork Fat. Gloriously tender pork knuckles were cooked in a semi-dry, tear inducing sauce, spooned over rice. While the chilli in the dish left us panting, we couldn’t stop reaching for it until every sliver of sauce was wiped from the place. While this While my lemongrass pork curry tastes quite different, the aromatics are similar - kaffir lime leaves, birds eye chillies, lots of ginger, garlic and lemongrass.

I’ve chosen pork shoulder for its combination of fat and leaner meat which creates a great mix of textures and helps enrich the curry. The trick with the sauce is to use the coconut milk while cooking the pork instead of using it after - the fat from the coconut almost separates from the base, but what remains is a light and fragrant gravy which has a delicate sweetness instead of a strong coconut flavour.

The Thai-inspired pork curry will deepen and develop in flavour over a few days, so plan ahead and make a bit batch over the weekend and eat it during the week. As always, you’ll find swaps, storage and tricks in my recipe notes below.

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork shoulder, cut into large cubes

• 1-2 tsps. neutral oil

• 2 tsps. fresh turmeric, grated

• Thumb size piece ginger, thinly sliced into crescent shapes

• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into quarters

• 4-5 large garlic cloves, crushed

• 4-5 kaffir lime leaves

• 1 red chilli (I use birds eye)

• 400 mls (1 can) light coconut milk

• Salt, according to taste

Method

1. Heat a pressure cooker/ crock pot on medium heat and add the oil. Fry the fresh turmeric and garlic until fragrant (don’t let it brown), then add the ginger and pork.

2. Fry for a few more minutes until the pork gets some colour.

3. Add the coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and the red chilli (slit it down the middle and pop it in whole).

4. Pressure cook for 3 whistles or slow cook on a low heat until the pork is tender and falls apart,

5. Serve hot with rice, garnished with fresh red chillies and a wedge of lime if desired/

RECIPE NOTES

Swaps, Serves & Storage

1. How do I make this recipe without a pressure cooker?
   A pressure cooker is the easiest way to make this recipe as you’ll get perfectly cooked, spoonable pork in half the time. That being said, good old fashioned slow cooking is the way to go if you don’t have a pressure cooker. I’d give it about 45 mins to an hour on a low heat.

2. Can I make this dish with any other cut of pork?
   I would highly recommend using pork shoulder, however if you’re unable to find it, you can substitute with pork loin which is much leaner so reduce the cooking time. Beef chuck steak is also a good alternative, however expect the curry to be richer and heavier.

3. Can I use dried, ground turmeric instead of fresh turmeric?
   Definitely! While the fresh turmeric adds a deep earthiness to the base of the curry, ground turmeric will work just as well. I would recommend using 1 heaped tsp. as dried turmeric is more concentrated.

4. What do I serve with this lemongrass pork?
   Enjoy this pork with white rice like jasmine or basmati.

5. How long can I store this coconut braised pork?
   The curry will keep well in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.