Mu Pad King (Stirfried Ginger Pork)

I have been trying for a couple years to find or develop a good recipe for Pad King Mu (or Mu Pad King, or a variety of other spellings), with mixed success. Pad King Mu is a dish made with pork, mushrooms (usually woodear), and copious amounts of ginger or galangal. It’s similar to Mu Pud Prik, but it doesn’t have the chilies and it seems to be served in fewer restaurants. I’ve had it both as a dry stirfry with only a little sauce clinging to the meat and as a more saucey dish.

It can also be made with beef (Nua Pad King) or chicken (Gai Pad King) or tofu (um…Tofu Pad King?). Onions and green bell peppers are the traditional veggies, but I’ve also had it with broccoli and personally would make it with snow peas (I didn’t have any tonight).

Mu Pad King

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork, very thinly sliced (1/4″ is good)
1-2 handfuls snowpeas or a sliced green bell pepper
1 c. woodear mushrooms

1 onion, sliced or diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 inches or more of ginger or galangal, julienned

1 tbl. fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tbl. soy sauce
1 tbl. oyster sauce
1 tbl. rice vinegar
1-2 tsp. brown sugar or palm sugar

peanut oil or other oil for frying

Instructions:

1. If using woodear mushrooms, soak in some water for about 30 minutes. Other mushrooms can just be sliced and set aside.

2. Chop onions, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

3. Mix fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar in a bowl.

4. Slice pork as thinly as you can (1/4″ is good) and add to sauce, stirring to coat.

5. Heat a little bit of oil in a wok. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat until soft.

6. Add garlic and some of the ginger and fry until fragrant.

7. Add pork, reserving any marinade. Stir until mostly browned and add the rest of the marinade.

8. Add mushrooms and rest of ginger and cook until mushrooms and pork are done.

9. Add snowpeas or bell peppers and cook for a few more minutes until bright green.

Serve with jasmine rice.