7/22/2019 Jaw Phak Kat Recipe - Pok Pok

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kaeng, tom, & co.

Jaw Phak Kat

THE PLAN Up to 1 week in

advance: Make the

paste and the tamarind

water

Up to 3 days or so in

advance: Make the dish

Up to 2 days in advance:

Fry the shallots and the

dried chiles

SPECIALEQUIPMENT A Thai granite mortar

and pestle

A rough Northern Thai translation ofjaw phak katis mustard green soup,which makes it sound rather innocuous. But its one of my favoritesanearthy, porky broth with a little tartness from tamarind, a perfect accompani-ment to spicier fare like laap. This is Northern Thai comfort foodsomethinggrandma might make.

My guess is that the dish is an old one; it requires just a pot and a mortar.The fried-shallot garnish is likely a more modern addition. The grandma inquestion might begin with some water. In go pork ribs and a simple paste. Asthe ribs simmertypically, vigorously because this is not a high-end French

kitchen and grandma does not care if the broth is cloudythey team up withthe paste and some tamarind to flavor the soup. The pork, however, isnt themain event. As the Thai name for the soup suggests, thephak kat(a type ofgreen vegetable we callyu choy) headlines the soup. As in a bowl of collardgreens in the American South, the pork is implied. In Thailand, cooks seasonwith toasted-then-pounded disks of fermented-then-dried soybean calledthuanao kap. Here, we have to settle for Thai yellow bean sauce.

Flavor Profile EARTHY, VEGETAL, SOUR, SALTY

Try It With Phat Fak Thawng (Northern Thaistyle stir-fried squash), page 94,or Laap Meuang (Northern Thai minced pork salad), page 106. Needs Khao Niaw(Sticky rice), page 33.

NORTHERN THAI MUSTARD GREEN SOUP WITHTAMARIND AND PORK RIBS

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7/22/2019 Jaw Phak Kat Recipe - Pok Pok

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{Northern Thai mustard green soup with tamarind and pork ribs, continued}

MAKE THE PASTEPound the chiles with a pinch of the salt in a granitemortar until you have a fairly fine powder (most of theseeds will still be visible), about 1 to 2 minutes. Add thegarlic and pound to a fairly smooth paste, about 1 to2 minutes, then add the shallots and do the same. Addthe shrimp paste and pound just until its incorporated,about 30 seconds. Youll have about a heaping 1/4cup ofpaste. You can use it right away, or store the paste in anairtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the

freezer for up to 6 months.

MAKE THE SOUPPut the ribs in a medium pot, and pour in the 8 cups ofwater. They should be submerged. Bring the water to asimmer over high heat, then immediately decrease theheat to maintain a gentle simmer, skimming off anygunk that rises to the surface. Add all of the paste, stir,then have a taste (dont worry, by the time all that watersimmers, the ribs will no longer be raw). Stir in enoughsalt, about 1 teaspoon, to make it taste good and salty

(the ribs will absorb some of this salt, and the tamarindyou add later will help balance it).

Cover and cook at a steady simmer until the rib meatis tender but not so tender its falling off bone, about35 minutes. Stir in the tamarind water and yellow beansauce, increase the heat to high, and bring the liquid toa full boil.

Add the yu choy and onions but dont stir. Cover thepot and wait until the yu choy wilts, about 5 minutes.Now uncover, give the pot a stir, and decrease the heatagain to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered,until the yu choy stems are very tender but not mushy,

10 to 15 minutes. The greens will be a dull green. Theonions will fall apart. Stir in the fish sauce and turn offthe heat.

Cooled and covered, it keeps in the fridge for up to3 days and tastes even better after a day. Reheat gentlyin a covered pot.

Let it cool to warm, then taste and season with morefish sauce, if necessary. Right before you serve it, breakthe fried dried chiles in half (or leave them whole, as inthe photo at right) and add them and the fried shallots.Bring the pot to the table along with small bowls and aladle.

PASTE

2 grams dried Thai chiles

(about 6)

1 teaspoon plus a pinchkosher salt

21 grams peeled garlic

cloves, halved lengthwise

1 ounce peeled Asian

shallots, thinly sliced against

the grain

2 tablespoons Kapi Kung

(Homemade shrimp paste),

page 274

SOUP

2 pounds pork spareribs, cut

lengthwise across the bone

into 2-inch-wide racks by

your butcher, then cut intoindividual ribs (most Asian

butchers sell them already

cut), rinsed well

8 cups water

Kosher salt

3/4cup Naam Makham

(Tamarind water), page 275

1 tablespoon Thai yellow

bean sauce

1 pound yu choy (stems and

leaves), bottoms trimmed,

cut into 2-inch lengths

7 ounces peeled

yellow onion, cut intoapproximately 1/2-inch-thick

wedges

1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce

5 to 10 dried Thai chiles,

fried (page 12)

2 tablespoons Hom Daeng

Jiaw (Fried shallots),

page 273

SERVES 6 TO 8 AS PARTOF A MEAL