Thai Red Pork Curry with Green Peppercorns

Thai Red Pork Curry with Green Peppercorns

Recipe only

This Thai red curry with green peppercorns is unusual to find in Thailand, It's definitely a restaurant dish. The fresh green peppercorns are what makes this dish special, so do not substitute with bottled or ground pepper. If you can find fresh Kampot peppercorns from Cambodia, which is arguably the best pepper in the world, do so. At the time of writing I'm working in Phnom Penh, so the fresh Kampot peppercorns on the stalk are at my finger tips, and try out many ways of cooking with them...ENJOY.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup coconut cream

2 tablespoons red curry paste

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons palm sugar

500 g lean pork, sliced

1 3/4 cups coconut milk

280 g Thai eggplants (they are very small), cut in half

75 g fresh green peppercorns, washed

7 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half

2 long red chilies, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish

Red Curry Paste;

18 dried red chilies, roughly chopped and stems removed (soak in hot water for 20 minutes first)
1/3 cup small dried shrimp, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons, chopped coriander root
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
6 small Asia shallots (Asian shallots are red in color), roughly chopped
6 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and white part only, bruised and finely sliced
1/4 inch piece of krachai, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 inch piece galangal, peeled and thinly sliced

1. Make the paste; Place the chilies in hot water for 20 minutes to soften up, then drain and dry. Reserve about 5 tablespoons of the chili water. Place the chilies in a small food processor with the dried shrimp, coriander root, salt, garlic, Asian shallots, lemongrass, krachai, and galangal; pulse until roughly chopped, add the chili water, and puree until smooth. Set 1/2 cup aside; you can keep it for another dish in the fridge or freeze for future use.

CURRY:

1. Add the coconut cream to a wok or saucepan and simmer over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the cream separates and a layer of oil forms on the surface, this means you have to watch the pan, very important this step. Use also most stir the cream if it starts to brown around the edges.

2. Add the curry paste, stir well to combine and cook till fragrant. Add the fish sauce and palm sugar and cook for another 2 minutes or until the mixture begins to get dark. Add the pork and stir for 5 -7 minutes.

3. Add the coconut milk to the pan and simmer over a medium heat for 5 more minutes. Add the eggplants and green peppercorns and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the lime leaves. Taste, then adjust to your liking. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with chili if you like.