Ingredients
For the Soup
- 7 ounces (200g) boneless pork shoulder steak
- 1 teaspoon prahok
- 2 teaspoons yellow kroeung, from the batch below or prepared paste
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup (about 40g) pineapple chunks
- ¼ cup (about 25g) bean sprouts
- ¼ cup chopped bok choy (pak choi, about 18g) or loosely packed raw spinach (about 8g), or a mixture
- 2 teaspoons palm sugar
- ½ teaspoon chicken stock powder
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) water, divided, plus extra as needed for braising
- 2 makrut lime leaves (kaffir lime leaves)
- A splash of cooking oil
- Fresh lime juice, to taste
- Fresh cilantro (coriander), to finish
- Salt, black pepper and chili flakes, to taste
For the Homemade Yellow Kroeung
- 2 stalks lemongrass, tender white parts only, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped galangal or ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh turmeric or ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chopped red chili or chili paste, or to taste
Equipment
- Saucepan with lid, about 2 quarts (1.9 liters), wide enough for the pork steak
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Stirring spoon
- Tongs
- Ladle
- Mortar and pestle, or a blender capable of processing a small paste batch
- Food thermometer
- Clean plate for the cooked pork
Method
- Pound the homemade kroeung ingredients together with a mortar and pestle until you have a fine paste. Alternatively, use a blender that can process a small batch. Measure 2 teaspoons for the soup; the batch makes more than you need.
- Heat a splash of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the prahok and the measured 2 teaspoons of kroeung and stir for about 1 minute.
- Add the pork shoulder steak and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping it to coat both sides with the paste.
- Add ¼ cup (60ml) of the water and the 2 lime leaves. Cover, reduce the heat to low and braise gently until the pork is tender, about 60 minutes for the whole steak I used.
- Check that the pork is cooked through.
- Transfer the cooked steak to a clean plate, cut or pull it into bite-size pieces and return it to the saucepan.
- Add the remaining 1 ¼ cups (300ml) water and bring to a boil. Stir in the tamarind paste, chicken stock powder and palm sugar, then add the pineapple, bean sprouts and bok choy, if using.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Allow approximately 5 to 10 minutes as a guide, depending on the size of the bok choy pieces.
- Remove and discard the lime leaves. Stir in fresh lime juice to taste. Taste the broth and adjust with salt, black pepper, chili flakes, extra tamarind, lime juice or palm sugar as needed.
- Divide between 2 warmed soup bowl, top with cilantro and serve hot.
Check regularly and add a splash of extra water whenever the pan begins to dry out. Continue cooking if the meat still resists a fork.
A food thermometer should register at least 158°F (70°C) for 2 minutes in the center.
If using spinach, add it near the end and cook just until wilted.
Notes
- Timing: I braised the pork shoulder steak whole for about an hour. The listed prep, finishing and total times are estimates. Cubed shoulder may become tender sooner, so I recommend you check doneness with a fork.
- Extra paste: The kroeung batch makes more than you need for this Cambodian soup recipe. Freeze unused paste in small portions promptly; thaw in the refrigerator.
- Lime leaves: I chose to add the 2 lime leaves directly to the soup, so they aren’t included in the paste recipe.
- Seasoning: I added extra lime juice to mine before serving. If you want to increase the heat and/or sourness, I suggest you add the relevant ingredients gradually before serving.
- Quantities: The vegetable and pineapple quantities are approximate and don't need to be exact. I added a handful of each.