Cucumber relish or ½ cup Thai Sriracha sauce for serving
Instructions
Trim the crusts off the bread. Cut the bread slices in half horizontally and then vertically to create quarters. Leave the bread out to dry for at least 2 to 3 hours, flipping the pieces over once, or for up to overnight.
To make the pork topping, in a food processor, combine the pork, soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper, garlic, and cilantro root and process until a smooth paste forms.
Spread the pork paste evenly across the top surface of each square of bread. (The thickness of the pork paste should never exceed half the thickness of the bread. This ensures that the pork will be cooked through before the bread gets too brown.) Place 1 cilantro leaf on top of each piece and press down lightly to secure it in place.
To fry the pork toast, pour the oil to a depth of at least 2 inches into a wok or a small, deep skillet and heat to 325°F to 350°F. To test if the oil is ready without a thermometer, stick an unvarnished wooden chopstick into the oil; when the oil is hot enough, a steady stream of tiny bubbles will rise from the tip of the chopstick. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place it next to the stove. Break the eggs into a wide, shallow bowl and beat lightly until blended, then place the bowl next to the stove.
One at a time, dip a square of bread, pork side down, into the eggs (the side without the pork should not be coated with the eggs) and quickly drop it, pork side down, into the hot oil. Fry the pork toast in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Once the pork side is golden brown, after about 1 to 2 minutes, flip the bread pieces over and fry until the other side is golden brown, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork toast to the towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pork toast.
Do not serve the pork toast right out of the oil, as the topping will be too hot to eat. Let cool to slightly warmer than room temperature, then arrange on platters and serve with the cucumber relish.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Simple Thai Food by Leela Punyaratabandhu, copyright (c) 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Photography (c) 2014 by Erin Kunkel.