Lechon Kawali Pad Kra Pao (Filipino × Thai)

Method

1. Cut the pork belly into 5 cm wide strips and put them in a 20 cm pot with the water and salt. Bring to the boil on high heat, skim, then lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 45 min, until a chopstick slides in easily.

   Add in this stepSkin-on pork belly 500 gWater 1½ LSalt 2 tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

2. Lift out and pat completely dry, skin included, then set skin side up on a rack and dry in the fridge for 30 min. Meanwhile, roughly pound the garlic and chillies in a mortar, or chop them coarsely.

3. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy 22 cm pot, no more than one-third full, and heat on medium-high heat for 9 min to 180 °C. Stay by the hot oil and keep a lid nearby.

   Add in this stepOil for deep-frying 1.2 L

   medium-high heat

4. Working in 1 batch(es), pat the skin dry again, lower the pork in with tongs, away from you, and cover with a splatter guard. Fry on medium-high heat for 10 min per batch, turning once, until the skin is blistered and deep golden. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then slice 1.5 cm thick.

   medium-high heat

5. Heat half the stir-fry oil in a wok on medium-high heat and crack in the eggs one at a time, spooning hot oil over them. Lift each out when the edges are brown, crisp and lacy and the yolk is still runny; all the eggs take about 3 min.

   Add in this stepEggs 2Oil (for stir-frying and eggs) 1 tbsp

   medium-high heat

6. Add the rest of the oil to the wok on high heat and stir-fry the pounded garlic and chillies for 30 sec until fragrant (the fumes are spicy, so open a window). Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar and water; when it bubbles, add the sliced pork and toss quickly for 1 min to coat. Turn off the heat, add the holy basil and stir just until it wilts. Tossing too long makes the skin soggy.

   Add in this stepOil (for stir-frying and eggs) 1 tbspGarlic cloves 5Bird's eye chillies 2Oyster sauce 1½ tbspLight soy sauce 2 tspFish sauce 1 tspPalm sugar (or sugar) 1 tspWater (for the sauce) 2 tbspHoly basil leaves (or Thai basil) 20 g

   high heat

7. Spoon the jasmine rice onto plates, add the pork alongside, top with a fried egg and serve straight away.

   Add in this stepCooked jasmine rice 400 g