Hot and Sour Pork Belly Soup.

Hot and Sour Pork Belly Soup ต้มแซ่บสามชั้น.

A North-eastern Thai soup that is packed full with aromatic Thai herbs. There's no oil used so it could easily be classified as health food. The cut or the choice of meat used is up to you. For a healthier version I would recommend using chicken thigh fillets with skin removed.

Traditionally the soup would be made with the off cuts of the animal and bones. The Northeast isThailand's poorest region and nothing gets wasted. The aromatic broth is so InCREdibly fragrant and delicious that it would taste great using old boots (I have not tried that as of yet).

In a large stock pot, put in

-2litre water, with

-1tsp salt,

-1 large onion,

-2 cloves garlic, roughly crushed,

-500g pork belly slices.

Leave to simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is flaking.

(Skip this bit entirely if you are using chicken)

Drain through a sieve and reserve the cooking liquid.

Put the stock pot back on the heat, put in

-cooking liquid and some water (you need 1.5litres), add

-1/2 pork stock cube,

-1tsp tamarind purée,

-4-5cm sliced galangal,

-2 stalks lemongrass, bruised,

-3 cloves, roughly crushed, garlic,

-4-5 kaffir lime leaves,

-3 tomatoes, quartered,

-1 large onion, thickly sliced,

-5 chillies,

Bring up to the boil and leave to cook until the vegetables have softened, fragrant and the house is smelling lovely, add

-your choice of meat,

-100g thickly sliced mushrooms (You can't see any mushrooms here as I had forgotten them).

Leave to boil until the meat is cooked through, add

-2 sliced spring onions,

-a small bunch chopped coriander,

-juice of 1 very juicy lime (you need the broth to be sour).

-fish sauce to taste.

Serve.

Note: this soup is not meant to be eaten on its own but is part of a larger meal and is definitely not as a starter, such thing doesn't exist in our culture.

Galangal and lime leaves are available at most Oriental supermarkets.