Moo Pad Gratiem (Three Buddy Pork Loin)
Ingredients
Marinating Paste
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 tbs cilantro stems, sliced into 1-inch pieces.
- ½ tsp ground white pepper, add more as preferred for your taste buds.
Garlic oil
- 10 garlic cloves, 3 for the paste, and the rest for frying in oil
- 60 ml oil
Meat and sauce
- 1 lb pork, sliced into long, thin pieces around ½" x 3"
- 15 ml oyster sauce (1 tbs)
- 15 ml fish sauce, Squid brand (1 tbs)
- 15 ml mushroom soy sauce (1 tbs)
- 5 ml dark soy sauce (1 tsp)
- 8 g sugar, white or brown
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 60 ml water
Directions
- Make Paste: Pound garlic, cilantro stems (or root), and white peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until smooth.
- Mix Marinade: Add the paste to a bowl, then stir in soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper, white pepper, and sugar until well combined.
- Marinate Pork: Add sliced pork and baking‑soda water, mix thoroughly, and marinate 20-30 minutes while preparing garlic oil.
- Prep Garlic: Rough-chop remaining garlic cloves (do not mince).
- Fry Garlic: Heat oil in a wok and fry garlic until lightly golden (3-4 minutes). Remove garlic with a strainer and reserve; keep the garlic‑infused oil.
- Stir‑Fry Pork: Heat 2 tbs garlic oil until very hot. Add pork and cook 2-3 minutes undisturbed, then stir to sear all sides until cooked and lightly crisp, adding a splash of water if sticking.
- Finish: Turn off heat, scatter fried garlic over the pork, and toss to combine.
- Serve: Plate over jasmine rice and garnish with extra fried garlic, ground white pepper, and cucumber or tomato slices.
Chef's Notes
- I normally use loin chop center cut, but any lean cut of pork is fine
- Do not overcook the garlic - you will get bitter garlic oil
The Gumbo Page
Michael Fritsche
mbf@fritsche.org