Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 5 garlic, peeled
- 5 bird's eye chilies, stems removed
Stir-Fry Sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 5 ml dark soy sauce
- 5 ml fish sauce
- 10 g granulated sugar
- 30 ml water
Main Ingredients
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil
- 400 g pork mince
- 50 g holy basil leaves, picked from stems, washed and dried
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic cloves and bird's eye chilies into a coarse, rustic paste.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, granulated sugar, and water. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Place a wok over high heat. Once the wok is extremely hot and reaching approximately 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit, pour in the neutral cooking oil and swirl to coat the bottom.
Add the pounded garlic and chili paste to the hot oil. Stir-fry rapidly using a spatula for 15 to 20 seconds until highly fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn.
Add the pork mince to the wok. Press the meat flat against the surface of the pan and let it sear undisturbed for 30 seconds. Then, vigorously break the meat apart with your spatula and stir-fry until fully cooked, with no pink remaining and an internal temperature of at least 74 degrees Celsius or 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the browned pork. Toss continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid reduces, thickens slightly, and evenly glazes the meat.
Turn off the heat completely. Immediately add the fresh holy basil leaves to the wok. Fold them gently into the hot pork mixture for 10 to 15 seconds until they are just wilted from the residual heat.
Chef's Notes
- Pounding the garlic and chilies in a mortar and pestle crushes the plant cell walls rather than cleanly slicing them, releasing significantly more aromatic oils and creating the robust foundation essential to this dish.
- Holy basil, known as kra pao in Thai, possesses a distinct peppery, clove-like flavor that differentiates it entirely from Thai sweet basil. If you must substitute with sweet basil, the dish is technically Pad Horapa, but it remains delicious.
- Achieving the signature wok hei, or breath of the wok, requires exceptionally high heat. Resist the urge to constantly stir the pork the moment it hits the pan; letting it sit undisturbed for a short moment develops the crucial caramelized crust.
- Dark soy sauce is utilized primarily for its rich, mahogany color and subtle molasses sweetness. Substituting it with an equal amount of regular light soy sauce will ruin the sodium balance and leave the dish pale.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze in portions. Basil texture will degrade upon thawing, but flavor remains.
Reheating: Microwave on high for 2 minutes, or stir-fry in a hot pan until piping hot.
