Crispy Pork Belly (Moo Krob)

Name: Crispy Pork Belly (Moo Krob)
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: Lean pork shoulder; Salt; Garlic; Ground coriander; Black pepper; Light soy sauce; Vegetable oil

Crispy Pork Belly (Moo Krob), plated as one serving.

297 kcal a serving, against 741 for the traditional version. That is 444 kcal off, or 60%, with 35.1g of protein. Serves 4. .

What the traditional version is

Thick-cut slab of pork belly, skin-on, first simmered in salted water and vinegar to soften. The slab is dried out (ideally overnight), then deep-fried in vegetable oil at high heat until the skin blisters, puffs and turns crunchy. Sliced and served with a sweet, sharp chilli dip or with rice. The meat stays tender and juicy under a shattering mountain of crackling.

What changed, and what each change costs

800g pork belly down to 700g lean pork shoulder, skin off

The original is basically a giant pork scratching with a bit of meat hiding underneath. Switch to lean shoulder, and you're cutting out most of the fat, but you're also saying goodbye to the crackling - you can't fake that with anything less than a belly.

What it costs you. What you save in fat you lose in texture. No crackling, but the pork is still juicy if you don't overcook it. It's now a proper meaty roast, not a chewy bar snack.

Deep-frying switched to oven roasting

Deep-frying's there to whip up the skin and render the fat. With no skin, you can roast instead. The spices have to do more of the heavy lifting, so you get more flavour out of less oil.

What it costs you. It comes out much drier, so don't expect that melting, glistening slab. But it's pork you can eat for dinner, not just after six pints.

Add a dry rub of garlic, white pepper, coriander seed and a dash of soy sauce

Lean meat needs help. The rub brings the aroma and the whack of umami that is usually drowned out by fat.

What it costs you. You get a crust, at least, if not a true crackling. The pork's punchier, and you might even want seconds, which is more than most people say after three bites of belly.

Oil drops from 100g to 10g, used for the rub

No point trying to drown a dry joint in oil - you just need enough to carry the spices.

What it costs you. You won't get the fried aroma, but at least you're not left with a pan full of mystery fat.

What goes in it

The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.

Lean pork shoulder
Salt
Garlic
Ground coriander
Black pepper
Light soy sauce
Vegetable oil

How it starts

Pat the pork shoulder dry and trim off any big hunks of visible fat.
Mix the garlic, ground coriander seed, pepper, salt, soy sauce and oil into a thick paste.
Let it sit for at least 30 minutes - longer if you've got the patience, preferably in the fridge uncovered for a firmer crust.

The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Thai.

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	741	297
Protein	38.2g	35.1g
Fat	65.4g	15.3g
Saturated fat	17.7g	4.7g
Carbohydrate	0g	3g
Protein per 100 kcal	5.2g	11.8g

Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Thai prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.

Allergens. gluten, soybeans.

The method is in the book

Let's be honest, it isn't crispy pork belly, it's spicy roast pork. If you dream about the sound of crackling shattering under your fork, you'll notice what's missing immediately. On the other hand, your arteries will thank you and so will anyone who actually wants a meal, not just a plate of fat and crunch with a hint of protein lurking somewhere underneath. It's a decent fix if you're desperate, though the day someone walks into a pub and asks for this instead of the real thing, I'll eat my apron.

The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Thai, along with 48 more. Buy the paperback