Stir-fried Shredded Pork with Hot Fish Sauce

Think of Thai food and the first images that come to mind are fragrant herbs and aromatics — lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves — tropical fruits, creamy curries, stir-fried noodles and jasmine rice.

While these are all typical Thai ingredients and dishes, visitors to the Land of Smiles might be surprised to find that there’s another common ingredient found in everything from noodle soup and phad grapao to simply grilled on a stick — pork.

In the northern part of the country, pork plays a particularly prominent role with local sausages like naem, a fermented sour sausage, and sai oua, stuffed full of chillies and herbs, eaten both in dishes and on their own. 

While pork may not be quite as prevalent in the rest of Thailand, specifically in the deep south where seafood and beef reign supreme, many Thai dishes show influences of traditional Chinese flavours and cooking techniques which regularly include the succulent meat.

At 5-star hotels across the country, talented chefs are raising the humble ingredient up to new levels and, with the Year of the Pig just around the corner in 2019, what better time to take a peek at some thoroughly indulgent pork dishes. 

To bring out the flavours even more, the dish below highlights a pairing recommendation made by Bart Duykers of Andaman Wine Club from each restaurant’s wine list.   andaman-wine-club.com; [email protected]

Shangri-La Hotel Chiang Mai

One of the most famous Szechuan dishes, this stir-fried pork recipe is particularly popular thanks to its special sauce of sugar, vinegar, leek, garlic and marinated green chillies. In just one bite of Chinese Chef Jiang Ming’s Stir-fried Shredded Pork with Hot Fish Sauce, you’ll experience a subtle balance between sweet and sour flavours together with a hint of heat from the chilli. Adored by adults and children alike, pork tenderloin, carrot, bell pepper and black mushrooms add another layer of textural complexity to this highly satisfying dish accompanied with steamed rice. 

Wine companion: Rieslings are a safe option for fiery Szechuan cuisine, but I am going for a red from Argentina. Served chilled, the 2014 Susana Balbo Malbec has bright acidity, firm tannins and great length. Aged for 11 months in an oak cask this Mendoza wine is a worthy companion.

Visit: shangri-la.com/chiangmai/shangrila