Phat Phrik Khing (Dry-Fried Curry with Pork and Long Beans)

Ingredients

• pork belly · in 2cm dice300 g
• yardlong beans · in 4cm lengths, or green beans200 g
• phrik khing curry paste · or red curry paste3 tbsp
• neutral oil3 tbsp
• palm sugar · or brown sugar1 tbsp
• fish sauce1 tbsp
• kaffir lime leaves · finely shredded4
• red chilli · sliced on the diagonal1
• water · only if the pan catches2 tbsp

Steps

1. Put the pork into a dry pan over medium heat and fry until the fat runs and the outside is golden, then lift the meat out.

   ⏲ 6 min

2. Add the oil to the pork fat left in the pan and fry the paste over low heat, stirring, until the oil turns red and it smells fragrant (blooming spices).

   ⏲ 3 min

3. Return the pork and toss until the paste coats it evenly.

   ⏲ 1 min

4. Add the beans and stir-fry over high heat for 2-3 minutes. If it catches, add water a spoonful at a time. Do not make a sauce.

   ⏲ 2 min 30 sec

5. Season with the palm sugar and fish sauce, then toss in the lime leaves and chilli (balancing flavour).

   ⏲ 30 sec

6. Serve at once with rice.

The basics behind this dish

• Browning and the Maillard ReactionMeat fails to brown for one of three reasons: it is wet, the pan is cool, or you put too much in at once. Plus how the brown film stuck to the pan becomes your sauce.
• Cooking Meat: Temperature, Resting, and Cutting Against the GrainDoneness is a core temperature, not a number of minutes. What resting actually does, how to handle a thick cut, and why the direction you slice changes the texture.
• Knife Skills: Grip, Cuts, and Why Size MattersHow you hold the knife matters more than how fast you cut. The pinch grip, the claw hand, and why uniform size is a cooking decision rather than a cosmetic one.