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From the Publisher

bangkok cookbook; thailand; thai recipes; thai cookbook; thai cuisine; pad thai recipe; grilled pork

Grilled Pork On Skewers

Mu Ping - Makes 16 Skewers - Serves 4

These pork skewers are best enjoyed as a between-meal snack right out of the plastic bag, standing or walking. But you can serve them on a plate as an accompaniment to warm sticky rice and a bowl of dipping sauce on the side and call it a full-on meal. To get results as close to what you’d get on the streets of Bangkok, grill the pork over natural wood charcoal.

Recipe For 3 Pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder

Soak 16 (10-inch) bamboo skewers in water overnight.

To make the marinade, in a blender, combine all of the ingredients and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Rinse out the blender.

Slice the pork against the grain on a 40-degree angle into pieces about 1½ inches wide, 2 inches long, and ¼ inch thick. Transfer the pieces to the marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.

To make the sauce, meanwhile, toast all of the chiles in a 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, turning to color evenly on all sides, until fragrant and darkened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the blender, add the tamarind, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce, and process until smooth. Transfer to a 1-quart saucepan, place over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce if needed. The sauce should taste sour first and then equally sweet and salty. Stir in the cilantro and set aside. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.)

Divide the pork into 16 equal portions. Thread a portion onto each skewer, running the skewer through each piece as if you are sewing. Then, rather than stretch each piece taut, scrunch it together to form a round bundle that is as tight as possible. If there are any overhangs, tuck them in. The meat should occupy half of the length of each skewer, leaving the other half as a handle.

Light a chimney half full of natural wood charcoal. When all of the charcoal glows in the center and is covered with gray ash, scatter it onto the tray of a hibachi-style grill in a single layer. Position the cooking grate about 3 inches above the charcoal and allow to preheat for about 5 minutes. Oil the grate and arrange the pork skewers on the grate, spacing them about ¼ inch apart. Grill the skewers, flipping them often, until no pink remains and they are charred on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve the skewers immediately with the dipping sauce as a snack. Add the sticky rice to make it a meal.

Marinade

6 large cloves garlic
¼ cup packed grated palm sugar
¼ cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Thai thin soy sauce or Golden Mountain seasoning sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro roots or stems
1 teaspoon white peppercorns

Dipping Sauce

5 dried Thai long or guajillo chiles, stemmed
5 dried bird’s eye chiles, stemmed
1 cup tamarind paste, homemade or store-bought
⅓ cup packed grated palm sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
⅓ cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
Vegetable oil, for greasing the grill grate
Steamed glutinous rice, for serving (optional)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Deep-cut Thai recipes from a true expert.”—Bon Appetit

“This is a truly remarkable collection of cleverly selected recipes. Punyaratabandhu is a gifted storyteller, and her work is an outstanding addition to the Thai cooking canon.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Charming and illuminating.”—Eric Asimov, food and wine critic for the New York Times

“As a Bangkok native who spent her formative childhood years in Thailand and her professional adult years in the United States, Leela Punyaratabandhu was uniquely positioned to write Bangkok. The recipes are accessible but not dumbed down. The stories are exotic but relatable. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of a multi-cultural, dynamic city. And most importantly, you’ll eat very, very well.”—J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, author of The Food Lab and The Wok

“I was born and raised in Bangkok . . . This book does justice to the mélange of regional, ethnic, and socioeconomic influences that comprise the cuisine of the fascinating city that, for over 200 years, has been the beating heart of Thailand. The recipe instructions are clear and workable while not being at all coy about the complexities. I will recommend the book to anyone who asks me about a Thai cookbook.”—Pim Techamuanvivit, owner of Nari, Kamin, and Michelin-starred Kin Khao

“When Leela Punyaratabandhu is your guide, you eat well. Leela is the rare writer who not only has a deep understanding, passion, and respect for the cultural and gastronomic history of her home country, but also an undying inquisitiveness into cooking technique and a desire to perfect that technique for the home cook. She has the soul of a Bangkokian and the mind of a recipe developer. Leela may have learned to cook from three generations of her family in a nineteenth-century Thai kitchen, but she is a ceaseless tinkerer, always looking to update, adapt, and improve. It’s what makes the recipes in this book actually work. In Bangkok you’ll find a book that is personal, accessible, and perhaps most importantly, jaw-droppingly delicious.”—J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab

“No one can argue that Bangkok is one of the world’s greatest food cities. Leela Punyaratabandhu—the award-winning food blogger and Thai food expert—captures the culinary magic of her hometown in this luscious new book, from snacks to curries to Thai iced tea. She has created an authoritative and essential compendium for anyone who cares about Asian food. The section on noodles alone is worth the price of admission.”—James Oseland, author of Cradle of Flavor and judge on Top Chef Masters

“Bangkok is for the energized cook who will trek across town for a certain chile, collects specialized cookware, and plans vacations around eating as much as possible. Writer Leela Punyaratabandhu's personal stories are scattered throughout to introduce each dish, and you can feel her passion for cooking even when describing the scent of jasmine rice.”—Bon Appetit, cookbook gift guide

About the Author

Leela Punyaratabandhu is the author of the award-winning cooking blog She Simmers and the book Simple Thai Food. Her writing has appeared on CNN Travel and the food website Serious Eats. Dividing her time between Chicago and Bangkok, Punyaratabandhu writes about Thai food and Thai restaurants both in the United States and Thailand.

THE FOOD OF BANGKOK

As the capital, Bangkok is naturally the first city that comes to mind when people think of Thailand, and as the center of government, Bangkok does represent the entire country. But culturally and culinarily, the city cannot be considered representative of any other place but itself—not even the Central region of which it is part. In other words, Bangkok is unique, and so is its food.

Two key factors have shaped the food of Bangkok, the first of which is geography. Because the Chao Phraya River runs through the city’s heart en route to emptying into the Gulf of Thailand, freshwater fish and river prawns feature prominently in the city’s culinary tradition. Take fish and prawns out of the traditional cuisine of Bangkok and a great chasm would open. Their popularity is due in part to their abundance. But the archaic religious belief that frowns on the killing of larger animals, such as water buffaloes or cows, because they are useful in rice farming and therefore deserve our gratitude and protection, has also contributed to the dominance of aquatic animals. In adherence with that principle, the ancient inhabitants of the alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya subsisted on a simple regimen of rice, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Although by the time Bangkok was founded, pigs, chickens, and ducks had already been incorporated into the diet, and nowadays even though Bangkokians have no qualms about downing a bowl of beef noodles, the remnants of that river-dependent way of life and cooking can still be seen.

History has been an equally important factor in defining the city’s food. Bangkok has always been influenced by foreign cultures through both visitors and settlers, and they have shaped its cuisine at every level, from the royal courts to the grassroots.

The origin of Bangkok traces back to a settlement on the west side of the river that was under the control of the ruling Ayutthaya Kingdom (1357–1767) whose center was located some fifty miles north of contemporary Bangkok. Although small, the village, due to its strategic location on the river, steadily grew in significance as an important customs outpost. That meant that even then Bangkok was exposed to European, Persian, Chinese, and Japanese influences, as well as to groups that had already established their presence in Ayutthaya, such as the Mon, an ethnic group originally from the Mon State in Burma (Myanmar). Ayutthaya was destroyed in 1767, and the Thonburi Kingdom was established the following year. With the change in rulers, the center of government and trade moved to Thonburi, an area on the west bank of the Chao Phraya that is now part of present-day Bangkok. The kingdom ended after a fairly short run, however, and in 1782, Rama I, the first king of the new ruling dynasty, the House of Chakri, established the Rattanakosin Kingdom on the east bank of the river, and with it, the center of power known as Krungthep Maha Nakhon by the Thais and as Bangkok outside of Thailand. The capital—and the economy—grew steadily through burgeoning international trade and thoughtful modernization into a stunning, vibrant, diverse city on both sides of the river.

Today, Bangkok cuisine can be described as an indigenous Central cuisine with heavy influences from a heady blend of foreign cultures—Chinese, Mon, Persian, Portuguese, modern European, North American, and more—resulting in a beautiful, quirky mix that locals and visitors alike can’t get enough of.

Red curry paste
NAM PHRIK KAENG PHET

This paste is the base for the classic Thai curry that has come to be known internationally as “red curry” due to its reddish color. This so-called Red Curry is, of course, just one among the countless other types of Thai curries, many of which sport the same color. However, kaeng phet happens to be one of the most common and the most popular type of curry in Bangkok; its paste base is also one of the most versatile which can be used to flavor several non-curry dishes. Makes 1⁄2 cup

4 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 large dried Thai long or guajillo chiles, cut into 1-inch pieces, soaked until softened, and squeezed dry
4 dried bird’s eye chiles, soaked until softened and squeezed dry
½ teaspoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon finely chopped galangal
1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemongrass (with purple rings only)
1 teaspoon finely chopped makrut lime rind
1 teaspoon packed Thai shrimp paste
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro roots or stems
5 large cloves garlic
¼ cup sliced shallots

Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small frying pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a mortar, add the chiles and peppercorns, and grind until smooth. One at time, add to the granite mortar the galangal, lemongrass, lime rind, shrimp paste, cilantro roots, garlic, and shallots, grinding to a smooth paste after each addition. Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ten Speed Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 9, 2017
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0399578315
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0399578311
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.91 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 1.42 x 10.28 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #143,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #22 in Thai Cooking, Food & Wine
- #30 in Wok Cookery (Books)
- #68 in Southeast Asia Travel Guides
Customer Reviews:
(235)

About the author

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Leela Punyaratabandhu

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Leela Punyaratabandhu (pronounced boon-yuh-RUHT-tuh-puhn) is a writer based in Chicago, Illinois. She has authored three books on Thai cuisine as well as the newsletter focusing on Thai food in America, The Epestle.

From 2008 to 2021, Leela wrote about Thai cuisine on her former cooking blog, SheSimmers.com which was named the best Regional Cuisine blog in 2012 by Saveur Magazine. In 2017, she was named one of the 100 Greatest Home Cooks of All Time by Epicurious. Her book, Bangkok, won the prestigious Art of Eating Prize, which is awarded to one single best food book of the year, in 2018. Leela’s writing and interviews have appeared in the New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Epicurious, and many others.