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Home » Entrées » Pork Recipes

Thai Pork (Kao Moo Dang)

Mar 22, 2018 · 6 Comments

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Thai BBQ pork on rice with boiled eggs and cucumbers on a white plate, with sauce poured over.

Not too long ago while dining out at a local Thai restaurant I tried a dish called Kao Moo Dang, or simply Thai Pork. I was so impressed with the amazing taste and the presentation of this Thai pork dish that I immediately got hooked. The pork was lean yet very tender. The sauce was savory, with a little bit of sweetness, and wonderfully complemented the pork without overpowering it. Slices of cucumbers and a hard boiled egg completed the dish. Everything worked so well together.

Whenever I try a dish that I love I always try to replicate it at home. This time is no exception. After reading about the dish and playing with a few recipes I think I came up with what I was looking for. It's not the same, but it's very, very close. If you ask me, my version is even better. I love this pork recipe.

Top down view of Thai BBQ pork on rice with boiled eggs and cucumbers on a white plate, with sauce poured over.

This recipe requires both dark and light soy sauce. In case you haven't used them, soy sauce from your local grocery store is neither. It's somewhere in between. It's not a good choice to use for making Thai pork. For this recipe you need dark and light soy sauce.

Shizuo Tsuji's  in his book Japanese Cooking explains: "Light soy sauce is amber in color, is clearer and thinner... but it is also saltier.... Dark soy sauce has a deeper color and more body. It's less salty and used in relatively greater quantities." The same holds true for the Chinese dark and light soy sauce.

Soy sauce for Thai Pork Recipe

To make Thai pork you can use many different cuts of pork, but my pick is tenderloin. It's lean and therefore healthier than other pork cuts. When properly cooked it's melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Thai Pork - Fried on cast iron pan | ifoodblogger.com

The pork in this recipe can be cooked entirely on a cast iron pan. Still, the meat is so flavorful and so tender that you will hardly miss that smoky BBQ flavor. I could not resist cooking the tenderloin on a charcoal grill and see how it turns out. I did, and it was fabulous. Tender, flavorful and smoky, with caramelized surface. If you can, definitely grill the meat. I've seen Thai Pork also being called Thai BBQ pork. I suppose the difference is in the preparation method, if you grill the meat the dish becomes Thai BBQ pork. I believe in Thai both are called the same name though - Kao Moo Dang.

Thai Pork on a Grill | ifoodblogger.com

Thai Pork (Kao Moo Dang) Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories:
Author: Victor

Ingredients

  • 2 pork tenderloins (about 2 lbs total, cut in half)
  • 6 cups cooked jasmine rice (2 cups uncooked)

For the pork marinade

  • 2 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine / rice wine
  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp tomato sauce (or ketchup)

For making the sauce

  • 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
  • 1 cup of water

For garnish

  • 2 eggs (boiled, peeled and cut in half lengthwise)
  • Coriander leaves
  • Cucumber and scallions sliced

Instructions

  • In a Ziploc bag, combine the Chinese cooking wine, sesame oil, sugar, salt, soy sauce and tomato sauce. Add pork tenderloin and marinate in a fridge for at least two hours and up to 6 hours for best results.
  • Heat a wok or a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the pork and the marinade, and cook and bring to gentle boil. Cover and simmer, occasionally stirring, for about 5-7 minute. Flip the meat and continue simmering for another 5-7 minutes, until internal temperature of the meat reaches a minimum safe temperature of 145F. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
  • To make the sauce, dissolve tapioca starch in 1 cup of water and add to the pan with the marinade leftovers after meat simmering. Bring to boil and simmer until the sauce thickens.
  • To serve, slice the pork about 1/4 inch thick, place on top of rice bed and dress with the sauce. Garnish with slices of cucumber, scallions and fresh coriander leaves.

 

More Pork Recipes

  • Stove Top Pork Loin in White Wine Sauce with Onions and Mushrooms in a pan
    Stovetop Pork Loin In White Wine Sauce
  • Oven-braised pork loin roast with apples and onions inside a clay baker/Dutch oven
    Oven-Braised Pork Loin with Apples & Onions
  • Instant Pot meatloaf on a platter with juices
    Instant Pot Meatloaf
  • Grilled marinated pork chops on a platter
    Killer Grilled Pork Chop Marinade

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    Recipe Rating




     

  1. Mr Frazer A Hainsworth says

    July 17, 2021 at 6:45 am

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe but changed it a bit,
    I added a little Chinese 5 spice and honey instead of sugar in the marinade and sauce and used potato starch to thicken the sauce

    Reply
  2. Zachary says

    February 07, 2021 at 11:36 pm

    4 stars
    Just for some clarification, Khao means rice in Thai, and the meat is just Moo (pork) Daeng (Red). Khao Moo Daeng is one of the many options for eating Moo Daeng, but it can also be added to soups, eggs, or many other things as well. In Chiang Mai, clear broth noodle soups seems to be the most common appearance, and then Khao Moo Daeng.

    Reply
  3. L says

    January 16, 2018 at 11:51 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night. It was so yummy (and pretty)!

    Thai BBQ Pork

    Reply
    • victor says

      January 16, 2018 at 2:47 pm

      Glad to hear it. Lovely picture. I grabbed it from the link and posted it in your comment, hope that's OK.

      Reply
    • Joti Gujral says

      January 19, 2025 at 5:49 am

      5 stars
      How cool 👌 nice to see how it turned out. Gives me confidence to try something that looks quite cheffy. Love Thai food!

      Reply
      • victor says

        April 15, 2025 at 3:43 pm

        Enjoy!

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