Don't throw those pork bones from Sunday dinner away! Make Thai pork broth for another delicious meal.
I made my family a pork loin on the bone for dinner on Sunday and decided I wasn't going to waste all those flavourful leftover bones. Not in these times! So the next day I made this aromatic Thai pork broth.
You might wonder why you would want to go to that trouble but pork broth really isn't any trouble at all. You just let the broth simmer for a couple of hours and you've got a delicious stock you can use in Thai style soups.
For that matter it would work in any Asian style soup.
The thing about Thai soups is you really need to make your own stock. Western flavoured stock cubes and ready made stocks won't do. They are too heavily flavoured with herbs like rosemary, thyme and parsley which just don't feature much in Thai cuisine.
This Thai pork broth freezes really well. My pork broth never hit the freezer this time around though. It was made into this totally delicious Thai sweet and sour prawn soup.
What you need to know before starting.
This pork broth recipe is part of a series I'm writing about using ingredients you probably have in your freezer or larder cupboard. Sometime you need to forward plan.
This pork stock recipe can be made with other bones besides pork. Try it with chicken carcass or beef bones fore example. You'll get a different flavour but the end result will be just as amazing.
As for the other ingredients, feel free to substitute what you have. The kaffir lime leaves, for example can be replace with a little more lime juice. Celery could be added to the broth instead of or with the carrot.
Most Thai stocks don't call for onion but I used it. I had onion on hand but not the daikon which would normally go into a Thai pork broth.
Is there anything else to consider before starting?
Nope. Just go for it. Making stocks out of left overs is an excellent way to get two meals from one.
What could be wrong with that?
I made enough pork broth for 4 people. About a litre (4 cups). You could always make more.
Ingredient storage and substitues
Galangal, lemongrass and fresh kaffir lime leaves all freeze very well. No or very little loss of flavour. I usually purchase quite a lot either online or at Asian shops and then freeze what I don't need for later.
Dried galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, all available at supermarkets can be substituted for fresh if you must.
Contrary to popular belief, galangal and ginger are not the same. They have different flavours. That said, in times like these, who cares? Go ahead and substitute ginger for the galangal if you have some on hand.
Go ahead... Make this delicious pork broth. Even if you don't try my hot and sour prawn soup recipe, I'm sure you find a good use for it.
Pork Broth - Delicious Pork Stock With Thai Flavours
Ingredients
- 5 lb. meaty pork bones
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 x 2.5cm piece of galangal – thinly sliced
- 2 stalk lemongrass, outer layer removed – cut into 3 pieces each
- 1 large onion – thinly sliced
- 4 spring onions (scallions) roughly chopped
- 10 coriander stems – roughly chopped
- 1 carrot – cut into rings
- 1 tbs. black or white peppercorns
Instructions
- Place the pork bones in a 3 litre sauce pan and cover with about 5cm (2 inches) water.
- Bring to a simmer and skim off any foam that rises to the top. Lower the heat so that it is only slightly simmering and cook for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile smash the garlic, galangal and lemongrass with the back of a knife or mallet.
- Once the pork bones have been simmering for an hour or so, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Strain the stock into a bowl and use immediately or place in the fridge. This stock can be frozen.
nimabi says
Thank you very much for sharing, I learned a lot from your article. Very cool. Thanks. nimabi
Dan Toombs says
Good to hear, thanks very much.
Dan