Hot and Sour Soup of Pork Hock

Name: Hot and Sour Soup of Pork Hock (Tom Yam Ka Muu)
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 1 pork hock (knuckle), with trotter (foot) attached; 1 pork hock (knuckle), with trotter (foot) attached; 1 pork hock (knuckle), with trotter (foot) attached; Water (to cover); Salt; 3 coriander (cilantro) roots; 5 stalks lemongrass, pounded; 5 dried large red chillies, roasted or grilled (broiled); 10 kaffir lime leaves, bruised; 2 tablespoons chilli jam; 30 mL (2 tablespoons) fish sauce; 5-10 small fresh green chillies, crushed; 30 mL (2 tablespoons) lime juice; ½ cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

Tom Yam Ka Muu

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Classic Thai Cuisine

By David Thompson

Published 1993

About

I LOVE THIS TYPE of soup: it is rich and complex in flavour — a combination of lemongrass and galangal, mellowed by the chilli jam and coriander, all sharpened by the addition of lime juice. This interplay, and relishing contrast of flavours, is what Thai food is all about. And to my mind it is unparalleled in other cuisines.

Ingredients

1 pork hock (knuckle), with trotter (foot) attached
Water (to cover)
Salt
3

Asia
Thailand
South East Asia
Gluten-free
Soup
Spicy

Method

Wash the pork hock and then grill or broil it. When charred, scrape any hair from the hock, then immerse it in water (at room temperature) for 5 minutes, allowing the skin to swell.

In a large pan bring fresh salted water to the boil (enough water to generously cover the meat), add the coriander roots and the pork hock, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until tender. Remove the pork hock