Pad Ped Mu - stir fried pork

This dish is made with belly pork. There are a number of reasons for 
this: on the pragmatic level the Thais tend to use all of an animal, and 
this is a way of using the rather fatty belly pork. Secondly the style 
of cooking means that the dish is cooked in the pork fat itself, which 
enhances the flavor, and thirdly, the fatty meat absorbs the additional 
flavors and so tastes better. 

My wife prepared this for our dinner last night, and cooked it in an 
iron wok, as always. The pork tends to stick, and so it is quite a 
difficult job cleaning up afterwards. Consequently I am going to suggest 
that you use a non-stick stir fry pan or sautee pan for this dish if 
available. The wok or pan should be quite hot, so as to sear the pork 
and render the fat quickly. If the pan is too cold it will tend to 
become leathery and "chewy". 

My recipe notes indicate that the sliced chilis are 'optional'. You can 
also reduce the amount of red curry paste used quite substantially 
without too much adverse affect on the authenticity of the dish. 

The sliced prik yuat are a Thai variety which is hard to find outside 
Thailand. Known as the Thai Bell Pepper, you could easily substitute 
ordinary bell peppers for this ingredient. 

The long beans used in Thailand are known as tua phak yao. I have seen 
these sold in the West as "Yak's Tails". If unavailable ordinary green 
long beans can be used. 

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ingredients 

1 pound of belly pork, cut into small dice. 

2 cups of long beans, cut into 1" pieces 

half a cup of prik yuat (green Thai bell peppers), sliced 
half a cup of prik yuat daeng (red Thai bell peppers), sliced 

3 tablespoons of red curry paste 
3 tablespoons of fish sauce 
1 tablespoon of nam prik pao (roasted chilis in oil) 
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced 
1 tablespoon of [palm] sugar 
1 tablespoon of prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), thinly sliced 
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground 

Method 

Heat a wok (see above), and then add the belly pork and stir fry until 
it turns brown, and the fat crispens and reduces. If it becomes too dry 
add a very small amount of peanut oil. 

Add the curry paste, and stir fry to combine, then add the fish sauce, 
chili oil, garlic, sugar, chilis and pepper, and stir fry for about two 
minutes stirring continuously to combine the flavors and mix well. 

Add the bell peppers and stir fry until they just begin to soften, then 
add the long beans and stir fry until heated through (about 30 seconds). 

Serve with steamed white [jasmine] rice.