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Thai grilled pork rice bowl, sliced charred marinated pork over jasmine rice with cucumber, herbs, lime and a dish of nam jim jaew on a dark slate surface

Thai Grilled Pork Rice Bowls (Moo Yang)

Thin slices of marinated pork charred hard and fast, then piled over jasmine rice with cucumber, herbs and a sharp toasted-rice dipping sauce called nam jim jaew. It lands at 41g of protein per serving and comes together in about 30 minutes once the pork has had a short marinate.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 500
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lb pork loin about 680g; sliced across the grain into thin strips a little under half an inch thick. Pork shoulder works too and stays juicier, with a bit more fat
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce for the marinade
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp coconut milk the fat helps the pork stay tender and char without drying
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp cilantro stems finely minced; save the leaves for serving
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil for the pan or grill
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce for the nam jim jaew
  • 2 tbsp lime juice from about 1 large lime
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar, for the sauce
  • 1 tbsp toasted rice powder khao khua; make your own by toasting raw rice in a dry pan until deep golden and grinding it
  • 1 tsp Thai chili flakes start with 1 tsp and add more to taste
  • 1 tbsp shallot minced, for the sauce
  • 1 tbsp chopped scallion
  • 4 cups cooked jasmine rice from about 1.5 cups uncooked
  • 1 cucumber thinly sliced, for serving
  • 0.5 cup cilantro and mint leaves loosely packed, for serving
  • 1 lime cut into wedges

Method
 

  1. Mix the marinade. In a bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons fish sauce, the soy sauce, oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, coconut milk, garlic, cilantro stems and white pepper until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced pork and turn to coat. Let it sit at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge.
  2. Make the nam jim jaew. Combine 3 tablespoons fish sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, toasted rice powder, chili flakes, shallot and scallion. Stir until the sugar dissolves and taste. It should read sharp, salty, a little sweet and hot. Adjust with more lime or chili as you like.
  3. Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high until it just starts to smoke, then add the oil. You want the pan hot so the pork chars instead of steaming. A grill pan or outdoor grill over high heat works the same way.
  4. Lay the pork out in a single layer, working in two batches so the pan stays hot. Leave it undisturbed for about 2 minutes to build color, then flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until the edges are charred and the pork is just cooked through. Do not crowd the pan.
  5. Rest the pork on a board for 3 minutes, then slice any larger pieces. Resting keeps the juices in instead of running out onto the rice.
  6. Build the bowls. Divide the jasmine rice among four bowls, pile on the pork, and add cucumber, cilantro and mint and a lime wedge to each. Spoon some nam jim jaew over the pork and serve the rest on the side for dipping.