Thai Stir Fry with Rum Marinated Pork Loin and Chayote

Thai Stir Fry with rum Marinated Pork loin and Chayote

When the hot season, April- June, arrives in Thailand the last thing you want to do is spend much time in the kitchen. With temperatures tipping 40 c/ 104 f daily it is really HOT!

Being a hot country year round Thai cuisine has a unique hot weather appropriateness. Flash cooking fresh ingredients tossed together with assertive flavors and fiery spicy heat is what makes Thai cuisine so universally popular. The capsacin from fiery hot chiles stimulates the release of endorphins in the brain that instantly produces a sense of euphoria, while breaking into a sweat from the heat of chiles has a pleasant cooling effect as well. No wonder everyone loves Thai food!

The recipe that follows is a reinterpretation of a popular Thai stir fry dish; Kra Pao Moo (click here for recipe) . I have upped the ante in this recipe using a Thai rum marinated pork loin and included chayote to the stir fry that adds a fresh crisp element to the final dish.

Chayote

Chayote originates from Central Mexico and widely used throughout Central and south America. Chayote was introduced to the old world during the Columbian exchange. From there it was transported through trade routes throughout Asia. Chayote is a member of the gourd family, and favored for its crisp texture and plentiful nutrients. The entire plant is eatable and often included in stir fried dishes throughout Asia. Seek it out! Widely available in Latin and Asian markets in North America as well.

Thai Stir Fry with Rum Marinated Pork Loin and Chayote    serves 4

To avoid the heat of the day during the hot season I like to marinate the pork in the morning and refrigerate it for the rest of the day. Prep all the other ingredients in the morning as well and refrigerate. That way the stir frying can be done very quickly in the evening without breaking a sweat!

Marinade:

• 1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced and diced
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 3 kaffir/ makrut lime leaves
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1/3 cup Thai Sang Som rum (or other dark rum)
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pound pork loin, silvery membrane removed and cut into 3 pieces
• cold water to cover

Select a non reactive bowl just large enough to hold the pork loin and other ingredients. Place all the ingredients except the pork and water into the bowl and stir to combine. Then add the pork loin and, using your hands, massage the pork with the mixture until covered. Then add just enough water to cover all. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 8 hours.

Thai Red Chiles

Stir Fry:

• marinated pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into medallions across the grain
• 2-4 teaspoons oil
  1 onion, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered, seeds and membrane removed, thinly sliced and halved
• 2 chayote, peeled, halved, pit removed, sliced lengthwise and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, quartered, seeds and membrane removed, cut into thin strips and diced
• 1-3 Thai red chiles, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed and very thinly sliced and then diced
• reserved marinade
• ½ cup fresh Thai sweet basil leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce or to taste
• stock or water
• additional fish sauce to taste
• fresh lime wedges

A steel Chinese wok is ideal for stir frying food very quickly over intense heat. For more information on cooking with a wok (click here)

Heat your wok over a gas burner or charcoal fire and add the oil. Swirl the pan to coat the surface and promptly add the pork medallions and stack them all the way up the sides of the wok. Sear briefly and then turn the pork and continue searing. Once lightly browned promptly remove the pork from the wok and set aside. Total cooking time 2 to 3 minutes max. Reserve the marinade to use later.

Add a little more oil to the wok and add the onions, garlic, and red bell peppers. Toss and stir fry until softened and lightly colored. Then add the chayote and toss to combine. Stir fry for a couple of minutes and then add the jalapenos and Thai red chiles and toss until combined. Then add the reserved marinade and cook for a couple minutes. Taste the chayote. Ideally you want the chayote to retain a refreshing crispness that will compliment the otherwise deeply flavorful stir fry.

Add the basil leaves and toss to combine. Taste the broth and add additional oyster sauce and fish sauce to taste. If the broth has reduced quite a bit you can add a little stock or water.

Finally add the reserved pork and toss until just heated.

Serving:

Just before serving squeeze some lime juice into the stir fry, toss, and you are ready to serve.

Serve with Thai Jasmine rice or, my favorite, Thai Jasmine brown rice. Have a bowl of lime wedges set out on the table as well.