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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Khao kha moo with rice

Khao kha moo is a Thai dish of pork leg braised slowly in a sweet five-spice soy sauce, served with hard boiled eggs, cabbage, and rice. For 4 people, it takes 2 hours, rates as easy, and costs €3.00 per person. The key is low, slow cooking until the pork skin falls apart on its own.

A Sunday that smells like Thailand, sound good? I'm suggesting khao kha moo, five-spice braised pork with eggs and rice.

Khao kha moo with rice
Total time
2 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.00
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Khao kha moo is that pork that melts under your fork after two hours of gentle simmering in a brown five-spice soy sauce, sweet and savory at once. The skin turns silky, the meat falls apart, and the hard boiled eggs soaked in sauce bring that street food comfort you find all over Thailand.

It's a Sunday dish you don't need to babysit, just let it simmer while you do something else. Kids usually love the melting pork and the brown eggs, and the steamed cabbage adds the freshness that balances the rich sauce. Mon Chou suggests it for a Sunday that breaks from the usual roast.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Pork leg or shoulder 900 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Eggs 4
  • Green cabbage 0.5
  • Garlic 6 cloves
  • Cilantro 4 sprigs

Pantry

  • Jasmine riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Five spice powderoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Soy, Gluten, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the meat into large chunks and brown it in the oil with the crushed garlic, in a Dutch oven, on all sides. 10 min

    Don't overcrowd the pot, the meat needs to touch the bottom to brown properly.

  2. Add the soy sauce, sugar, five spice powder, and pepper, then cover with water. Let it simmer gently, covered. 1 h 20

    The pork leg is ready when the skin pulls away with a spoon, not before.

  3. Hard boil the eggs, peel them, and drop them into the pot for the final stretch of cooking. 20 min

    Score the eggs lightly with the tip of a knife, they soak up the sauce better.

  4. Cut the cabbage into strips and cook it in salted water until tender. 10 min

    Keep the cooking water, a ladleful loosens the sauce if it reduces too much.

  5. Cook the rice, then serve it with the meat, eggs, cabbage, and a little cilantro. 12 min

    Spoon the brown sauce over the rice, it's what makes the whole dish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a pork leg with its skin on rather than shoulder alone, the skin is what gives the dish its signature silky texture.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and add water if it's too salty or too reduced, it should coat but not turn syrupy.
  • Make the pot a day ahead if you can, the sauce tastes even better reheated the next day.

The variations

  • Swap the pork leg for pork belly if you prefer a fattier cut that braises a bit faster.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the pork with firm tofu, seared then simmered in the same sauce.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve just the eggs and shredded pork over rice, skipping the cabbage, for a simpler plate.

What to serve it with

  • A clear vegetable broth
  • Extra steamed rice
  • Warm unsweetened green tea

Storage

Khao kha moo keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, sauce and meat together. It freezes well for up to 2 months, without the rice or cabbage. Reheat gently in a saucepan, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you make khao kha moo ahead of time?

Yes, it's even better made ahead, the sauce deepens in flavor after a night in the fridge. Reheat gently in a saucepan the next day before serving.

Can you use a different cut instead of pork leg?

Pork shoulder works well if you can't find leg, though it ends up slightly less silky once cooked. Simmer it for the same amount of time until tender.

How do you know when the pork is cooked enough?

The skin should pull apart easily with a spoon, without any resistance. If it still resists, let it simmer fifteen to twenty minutes longer.

Why do the eggs turn brown in this recipe?

The hard boiled eggs simmer about twenty minutes in the soy sauce and soak up its color and sweet salty flavor. Scoring them lightly before adding them to the pot speeds up that coloring.

How long does it take to make a khao kha moo, Thai braised pork leg with rice?

Count 2 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a khao kha moo, Thai braised pork leg with rice?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a khao kha moo, Thai braised pork leg with rice cost?

About €3.00 per serving, or €12.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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