Hi,

tonight I cooked a dish called Muu Parlow (pork hock braised with star anise) from David Thompson's excellent 'Thai Food' book. He calls it a soup and indeed the recipe yields plenty of liquid. We hate it in large soup bowls, with rice on the side and squares of fried tofu and boiled eggs added to the soup, as called for by the recipe.

I also remember having a similar tasting dish in Chiang Mai 11 years ago, but it was served differently. That version took the shape of pork hock served on rice with a little, more concentrated, braising liquid and some pickled vegetable on the side.

As far as I can tell, the taste of the braising liquid was very similar. In fact, the recipe I made tonight brought back memories of that meal I had in Chiang Mai.

So am I correct to think that these are 2 incarnations of the same dish, with Moo Parlaow being served as a kind of soup and Khao Kha Moo being served over rice with pickled vegetable? is it that simple?

What does Parlaow mean?

And what does Kar Moo Parlow stand for?

Aren't the squares of tofu unusual in this dish?

Thanks in advance for any clarification...

Edited September 26, 201114 yr by namphrik

"Parlaow" looks to be a bad transliteration of พะโล้, usually just spelled "palo". Kind of a Chinese influenced stewed dish.

In the 90s I would go over to a street on the west side of the Chao Phraya for goose prepared like this. (ห่านพะโล้ - "haan palo") The restaurant had been in the same family for over 80 years and they said they hadn't changed the recipe at all.

Palo is either a spice or spice mix. I have seen palo powder sold in stores.

kha moo palo would be pig leg palo where as moo palo would not specify what part of the pig, although I believe it is just a shortened way of saying kha moo palo because I have never seen it with any other pork cuts. Khao kha moo would be pigs leg served over rice whether or not this is traditionally seasoned with palo or not I have no idea.

Palo is sweeter than Ka Moo

Palo liquid is thinner than Ka Moo

Ka Moo is known for the skin which makes the soup base thicker

Ka moo can also contain pigs feet (Ka Gee) and intestines (Sai Moo)

Palo can be made with the meat from the stomach area (bacon cut)

There is no tofu in Ka Moo

There are eggs in both

Neither are to be eaten as soup

Both are to be eaten over rice

The major difference is that Ka Moo is slowly braised making the meat fall apart and really tender