Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly (Khana Mu Krop) Recipe

Name: Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly (Khana Mu Krop) Recipe
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pound roast pork belly, cut into 1/2- by 1/2- by 1-inch pieces (see note); 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; 1 pound Chinese broccoli (kai lan), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed; 2 fresh bird's eye chilies, smashed (or cut into thin slices); 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; Fish sauce to taste (see note)

Why This Recipe Works

Starting with store-bought Chinese roast pork cuts down on prep work.
The chiles and oyster sauce balance the richness of the pork belly.
The Chinese broccoli is added at the end and minimally cooked to preserve its crisp texture.

Iwas going to say that the twice-fried pork belly is what makes this dish appealing, but quickly realized the inaccuracy of that. If it's the crispy pork belly I'm after, I might as well make or buy some Chinese-style crispy pork belly, eat that, and call it a day. But, no. What makes this dish one of the most popular at made-to-order street food stalls and rice-curry shops in Thailand is the fact that all of the ingredients work together to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

Overhead view of a bunch of Chinese broccoli set on a fuchsia bamboo mat. A coconut-wood ladle is set nearby, cradling red chiles and garlic cloves. — Serious Eats / Leela Punyaratabandhu

To make things easier for you, don't make your own crispy pork belly; buy it instead. I hope there's a Chinese barbecue joint or a Chinatown where you live as those are the places where Chinese-style roasted pork belly (siu yuk) can often be found. If not, replace the crispy pork belly with the same amount of thinly sliced pork loin. It won't be the same, and it can't be called khana mu krop in the absence of mu krop (crispy pork), but it will be delicious regardless.

A closeup of a thick slice of Chinese crispy roast pork belly that's been cut into 1/2-inch lardons and arranged on a lettuce-lined plate. — Serious Eats / Leela Punyaratabandhu

Those who don't like spicy things can omit the fresh bird's eye chiles. But I'd like to, if I may, encourage you to use them. They really make a difference to a rich, fatty dish such as this. If you're very sensitive to the heat of fresh chiles, perhaps you can add just a couple and lightly bruise them instead of slicing or chopping them.

October 2012