Khao Kha Moo

[edwardandtubs]

Is the meat used to make khao kha moo preserved using sodium nitrate like bacon and ham? I'm trying to avoid that stuff after reading of the health risks.

[sulasno]

have you tried German Pork Leg ?

[edwardandtubs]

I haven't tried that. The problem with khao kha moo is I can't tell whether or not it has been cured just from the taste. It has a sort of cured taste but this may be due to the soup it's been boiled in. That sodium nitrate they use for curing has been shown to cause cancer so it's well worth avoiding.

[loser1]

I haven't tried that. The problem with khao kha moo is I can't tell whether or not it has been cured just from the taste. It has a sort of cured taste but this may be due to the soup it's been boiled in. That sodium nitrate they use for curing has been shown to cause cancer so it's well worth avoiding.

So has smoking but every man i see in Thailand smokes, probably you as well.

[Thailaw]

The meat in Khow Kha Moo is fresh pork shoulder/leg. It is not preserved. It includes:

shank portion of fresh ham

coriander root

crushed garlic

pepper corns

anise seed powder (or ground cinnamon instead)

light soy sauce

dark soy sauce

pickled Chinese cabbage

I make it frequently using fresh pork shoulder rather than the leg shank, which is too large for 2 people (unless you want to eat it everyday for a week).

[edwardandtubs]

The meat in Khow Kha Moo is fresh pork shoulder/leg. It is not preserved. It includes:

shank portion of fresh ham

coriander root

crushed garlic

pepper corns

anise seed powder (or ground cinnamon instead)

light soy sauce

dark soy sauce

pickled Chinese cabbage

I make it frequently using fresh pork shoulder rather than the leg shank, which is too large for 2 people (unless you want to eat it everyday for a week).

The trotters are also included. That meat is described in Carrefour as "smoked pork trotter" or something like that. I think it's the mixture of the smoking with the salty soup that gives it its cured taste. I tried making it myself with other cuts of pork and Mae Ploy five-spice powder (Cinnamon, Star anise, Coriander seed, Sichuan pepper, Pepper) mixed with sugar, soy sauce and salt and it came out well.

Edited January 17, 2011 by edwardandtubs

[CPT]

The trotters are also included. That meat is described in Carrefour as "smoked pork trotter" or something like that. I think it's the mixture of the smoking with the salty soup that gives it its cured taste. I tried making it myself with other cuts of pork and Mae Ploy five-spice powder (Cinnamon, Star anise, Coriander seed, Sichuan pepper, Pepper) mixed with sugar, soy sauce and salt and it came out well.

"Trotters" are generally included only as part of the leg and not smoked. Never noticed a cured taste to the dish? My GF and I first learned how to prepare it from my landlady who owns a noodle shop. She doesn't use any cured meat either.

One of the key ingredients seems to be that soft palm sugar. Some even add a little coco powder and others cook it in Coca Cola.

Edited February 20, 2011 by CPT

[kanGBK]

I'd like to know too.

[Gary A]

I have watched my wife make it. She buys fresh pork hocks from the local fresh market. She cooks the pork legs on a charcoal grill for a while before they go in the pot with all the spices. That may be where the cured taste comes from. I can assure you that the pork hocks are not cured.