Moo Hong: Thai Five-Spice Braised Pork with Boiled Eggs

I wanted to make moo hong, the famous Phuket-style braised pork, but had no red braising powder on hand, so I used five-spice powder instead and added boiled eggs. The result smells incredible and tastes just as good.

Moo hong is a slow-cooked, soy-and-spice pork stew from southern Thailand, sweet, salty and fragrant with garlic, black pepper and cilantro root. This easy home version uses a regular five-spice blend and comes together with pantry staples.

Ingredients

• Pork neck or pork belly, cut into bite-size pieces
• Hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• Five-spice powder
• Garlic, black peppercorns and cilantro roots (or cilantro stems)
• Oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and salt
• Vegetable oil and water

Instructions

1. Pound the garlic, black peppercorns and cilantro roots together into a coarse paste.
2. In a bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, salt, five-spice powder and a splash of water until well combined.
3. Add the pork and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge for the best flavor.
4. Heat a little oil in a pot, fry the garlic paste until fragrant, then add the pork and stir-fry until it colors. Drizzle in the dark soy sauce and stir to coat. Add enough water to cover the pork, add the boiled eggs and bring to a boil.
5. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer until the pork is meltingly tender and the sauce has reduced. Spoon over steamed rice and serve with prik nam pla (Thai chili fish sauce).

Tips

• For about 500 g (1 lb) of pork, start with 1 teaspoon of five-spice, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar and a pinch of salt, then adjust to taste as it simmers.
• The stew tastes even better the next day, so make it ahead if you can.