Pork & Shrimp Pad Thai
Submitted by Merlyn0617
Pork and shrimp pad Thai tossed in a tangy fish sauce and rice vinegar glaze, then finished with crunchy toasted peanuts, mung bean sprouts, scallions and a wedge of fresh lime.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
75 minCOOK
25 minREADY
100 minReal pad Thai lives or dies on prep speed, and this recipe makes that plain from the first line. Soak the flat rice noodles in warm, not boiling, water for an hour so they stay springy instead of turning to mush.
Line up every ingredient beside the wok before the oil even gets hot. Pork matchsticks go in first, then shrimp and crushed garlic, and finally a beaten egg that scrambles right into the mix.
The sauce is the classic Thai balance of fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar, with a hit of Asian chili powder and white pepper for backbone.
Here is the move most home cooks skip: once the noodles hit the wok, stop stirring and treat the whole thing like a giant pancake, flipping it so the underside catches and crisps. Toasted peanuts, mung bean sprouts and scallions go in at the very end so the plate keeps its crunch.
Chef Tips
- Warm water for the soak, never boiling. Hot water turns the noodles gummy before they ever reach the heat.
- Prep everything first. Pad Thai cooks in minutes and there is no time to chop once the wok is going.
- Resist stirring once the noodles are in. Letting one side sit builds the faint char that defines the dish.
- Hold back a handful of peanuts and sprouts to scatter over the top.
Variations
- Trade the pork for extra shrimp or firm tofu, and use soy sauce in place of fish sauce, for a vegetarian plate.
- Stir a spoonful of tamarind paste into the sauce for the deeper sour note of Bangkok street stalls.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak noodles in warm water for 60 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
Prepare all other ingredients and arrange near the wok.
You will need to work fast.
In the wok, fry the pork in the peanut oil at medium heat.
When half cooked, add the shrimps and garlic and stir.
Cook until shrimp and pork are done.
Beat the egg and add it to the mixture.
Cook, stirring, for about half a minute.
Turn the heat to high.
Add the drained noodles to shrimp mixture.
Add water, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, shrimp powder, and most of the peanuts.
Sprinkle in white pepper and chili powder.
Toss to combine.
Let it cook on one side (Don’t stir; keep checking the underside as if it were a big pancake).
Flip it over as best you can and repeat until nearly cooked, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add most of the sprouts and scallions.
Stir and cook for another minute.
Turn onto a plate.
Top with the rest of the sprouts, scallions, and peanuts.
Garnish with coriander and serve with a wedge of fresh lime.
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