Thai Garlic Pepper Pork (Mu Krathiam)
หมูกระเทียม mu krathiamSay it: moo kra-TEEM
Mu krathiam is the everyday Thai garlic-and-pepper pork stir-fry: thin slices of pork tossed in a screaming-hot wok with a pounding of fresh garlic and white pepper, then glossed with oyster sauce and soy. It is a central-Thai street-stall and home-kitchen staple, eaten at lunch or dinner over plain jasmine rice. The flavour is punchy and savoury, warm rather than fiery, with the sweet-sharp bite of garlic softened by a little sugar and the resinous heat of white pepper lingering at the end.
Thai Garlic Pepper Pork (Mu Krathiam)
หมูกระเทียม, mu krathiam
Pronounced moo kra-TEEM
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains soy, fish, shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Pork and marinade
Aromatics and stir-fry
To serve
Method
Pound the chopped garlic with the freshly ground white pepper in a mortar until you have a coarse, sticky paste; if you have no mortar, crush them together on a board with the flat of a knife.
Put the pork in a bowl with half the garlic-pepper paste, the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce, and mix well. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes while you cook the rice.
Heat a wok or wide heavy pan over high heat until it is smoking, then add the oil and swirl it around the pan.
Add the remaining garlic-pepper paste and stir for 15-20 seconds, just until it smells sweet and fragrant and turns pale gold at the edges — do not let it brown or it will turn bitter.
Tip in the pork in one layer, let it sit undisturbed for 1 minute to catch colour, then stir-fry hard for 2-3 minutes until the slices are browned at the edges and just cooked through.
Splash in the water or stock and toss for 30 seconds until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the pork; taste and adjust with a little more fish sauce if needed.
Turn off the heat, scatter over the cilantro leaves and toss once, then spoon over hot jasmine rice and serve immediately.
Regional variants
Some home cooks swap the sliced pork for coarsely minced pork, which cooks faster and gives a crumbly, sauce-hungry texture, or use chicken (gai krathiam). A splash of Thai seasoning sauce often replaces part of the soy for a rounder, sweeter-savoury edge.
Cook's notes
- Fry the garlic gently at first: it should perfume the oil, not colour deeply, or the whole dish will taste burnt.
- Grind white peppercorns to order — pre-ground pepper loses the sharp, floral heat that defines this dish.
- Keep the wok very hot and the pork in a single layer; crowding it steams the meat instead of searing it.
Serve with
Hot jasmine rice, a wedge of lime, nam pla prik (chillies in fish sauce) and cucumber slices.
Make ahead and storage
Marinate the pork up to a day ahead and refrigerate; the stir-fry itself is best eaten straight from the wok, though leftovers keep 2 days and reheat in a hot pan with a splash of water.
