Crispy pork is one of those foods that the boyfriend has talked about ever since I've known him. He'll say things like "Gosh, these veggies would be even better with moo grob" or "I feel like moo grob... Do we have any bacon?"
For the longest time, I didn't have a good understanding of what this moo grob or crispy pork was. And I didn't go out of my way to find out, because truth be told, I'm not a big fan of fatty meats. All I knew was that it was deep fried pork belly (called triple layer pork or moo sam chan in Thai because it contains the pork rind, fat, and meat) and that was enough for me. I was happy to substitute bacon for it.
But with the start of this blog, I decided it was time to find out more about this mysterious meat that the boyfriend is so fond of. I did a little research and then tried my hand at making it using David Thompson's recipe in Thai Street Food. It wasn't terribly hard to make, just requiring some time to let the pork belly dry before frying it. And it turned out surprisingly well!
After this initial attempt, I've made crispy pork several more times, each time trying subtly different variations and tips from our readers. And this last attempt, combining a little bit of all of these variations, was the best yet! The skin was incredibly crispy while the fat and meat inside was still tender and juicy. So now when the boyfriend is longing for moo grob, I can offer him more than just bacon!
Recipe
Crispy Pork | Moo Grob | หมูกรอบ
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash the pork belly and remove hairs from the skin as necessary.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pork belly for 1 hour or until the skin is soft and translucent.
- Once the pork belly is done, use a fork to poke holes into the skin and then use a knife to make a shallow grid-pattern in the skin. Mix the salt with the vinegar and rub this mixture into the skin.
- Allow the pork belly to dry in the sun for at least 3 hours. If it's not entirely dry after this amount of time, place it in the oven at 180 degrees for as long as needed to finish drying (one hour is generally enough).
- Once the pork belly is dry, you can either fry immediately or place in the refrigerator overnight for additional crispiness and then fry.
- To fry, place the pork belly in a pot of oil at medium high heat and cook just until the skin is crispy (approximately 5 minutes). Be very careful as the pork belly has a tendency to pop!
- Chop the pork belly into bite-sized pieces and enjoy.
Tsz
Hi have you tried making a larger quantity and freezing some? If so after which step is it best to freeze? After boiling? Drying? Or Frying?
Thanks
Rachel
I haven't tried freezing any, but I imagine that it would be best done after boiling if you were to do so. If you try it, let us know how that works!
Scott Tatum
would you serve this with a dipping sauce(s) and if so, which one(s) ???
Rachel
Hi Scott, moo grob is sometimes served with a simple sauce of dark thick soy sauce and sliced red Thai chilis.
Rachel
Thanks for the comment, James. I don't find that it matters which side is down when frying. Best of luck!
Jocelyn
Hi.
If no sun. Do u mean I can dry it in Von instead for longer period of time? And do u mean 180 degree Fahrenheit or Celsius? I just did it at Celsius which I suspect is wrong since meat harden
Help!
Rachel
Hi Jocelyn, yes, you're right - putting the pork in the oven over low heat (180 Fahrenheit) simulates drying it in the hot sun. It's a good alternative if the sun isn't out or if it isn't hot enough to dry the pork completely.
Farang
You forgot the most important step. "Use in your favourite stir fry". Moo grob is plain on it's own. Pad kra paow moo grob, stir fried chili ad basil, pad horra-pah moo grob, that's the way to go.
Rachel
Haha, yes! That post is coming up shortly 🙂
Rachel
Eric, drying in the oven should work just fine!
Eric
Instead of leaving the pork belly in the sun, could you just dry it in the oven the whole time?
Rachel
Thanks, Kathy! It was such a great workshop, wasn't it? It was so nice to meet you there - I'm looking forward to keeping up with your photography and blog!
Rachel
So glad you liked it, Diana!
Kathy M
Nice picture Rachael! I can see the techniques we learned at the workshop are really adding an impressive touch to your wonderful blog. The Crispy Pork looks super tasty. I hope you both are well. Kathy
Diana
I just discovered your blog today and this delicious recipe. I made the crispy pork for dinner and it was a hit with everyone! Thank you very much!
Kenny
I love this blog! The recipes are delicious and the photos are incredible!
bilbaobab
oh my, this is a wet food dream!! the photos are stunning and this is my favourite dish!!! i too am happy to stumble upon a thai food blog with recipes that are in english!
Alison
While searching for Thai food recipes I came across your blog, and I'm so happy I did! Your recipes look fantastic, and your photography is beautiful.