In my continued unemployment (well, at least I’m not formally employed full-time), I am assisting my friend Chow with testing recipes for the updated edition of her guidebook to Thailand’s best street food. This involves going out to try different dishes in their original context – i.e. on the street – and then returning to her kitchen to try and recreate the dishes, taking notes for how cooks in other countries can modify or substitute techniques and ingredients as necessary. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it.
For this group of recipes, we went to a long-established Isaan style street food vendor on Soi Suan Phlu, off Sathorn Road. “Isaan” refers to the northeastern region of Thailand, a dry, poorer portion of the country and also home to a large percentage of the total population. Isaan food is spicy and often uses fermented foods (shrimp paste, fish, chili paste, etc.) to add flavor. While foreigners (and for that matter, many Thais from central Thailand) can find the food a bit too strong, many of the dishes have gained admission to the pantheon of popular Thai cuisine. Chief among these are som tam (green papaya salad), gai yang or moo yang (grilled chicken or pork), and larb (chopped meat and herb salad).
Here is the street vendor’s version of kor muu yang – grilled pork neck. Thai pork is moister and more flavorful than the pork available in the United States, which has been bred to be low-flat and, thus, bland. The neck has plenty of fat and the meat undergoes a quick marinade and then grilling over blazing hot charcoal. Though simple, the flavors are very rewarding to eat.
Another dish we tried is the yam plaa muk – squid salad. “Yam” (which means “mix”) refers to a style of salad that originates in Isaan, although of course it wouldn’t originally be served with fresh squid since that region is a long way from the ocean. Regardless of the main ingredients, the dressing always includes shallots or onions, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar (usually palm), and fresh chilies. That’s the holy quartet of Thai cuisine: sour, salty, sweet, and spicy.
Back at Chow’s kitchen, we tried our hand at yam pla muk. In addition to the fresh squid (it must be fresh or else it will be rubbery), which is cleaned, cut, and boiled very briefly (it must be brief or else it will be rubbery), we added Chinese celery (substitute the leaves and thin ends of regular celery), onion, and tomatoes. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, along with the sauce ingredients I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
The end result is a refreshing, ceviche-like dish that makes for a perfect summer salad. If you don’t like squid or can’t find any, you could use shrimp or fish, too. You could also use chicken, beef, pork (sliced and cooked), or even pomelo. Lots of options.
We also tried our hand at muu yang, the grilled pork. Lacking a grill, we seared on a cast iron griddle and then finished the pork beneath the broiler. We were focusing more on the marinade rather than the way the meat was cut and discovered that the marinade recipe will be trickier to figure out than we expected! This will require more experimentation. The red sauce is a bottled sweet chili sauce that is available in most Asian food markets. Served also with some sticky (glutinous) rice, another Isaan staple.
While we were at it, we also tried our hand at satay. Satay are skewers of meat (in this case, pork and chicken) that are marinated, brushed with coconut milk, and grilled. They actually come from southern Thailand by way of Indonesia. We didn’t focus on cutting the meat into thin strips and instead went for chunks. We did make the peanut sauce from scratch. A lot of recipes available to foreigners substitute peanut butter instead of ground peanuts. Yes, you can do that… but it really doesn’t taste the same. Served with cucumbers, shallots, and chilies briefly pickled in a rice wine vinegar and sugar brine.
The experience of cooking with Chow is always fun. For all the years I’ve lived in Thailand, I’m woefully ignorant of how my favorite Thai dishes are made. When there is such inexpensive and tasty street food available, there is little incentive to cook these dishes myself. (Especially since some of the ingredients and cooking processes come with a strong smell. Fermented shrimp paste anyone?)
christao408 
The reproduction in Chow’s kitchen looks more attractive.
They serve bbq pork, but the neck of it, at some of the better dim sum restaurants… though I’m curious to see how it’s different from kor muu yang, since im sure the marinades are different.I’m so jealous of all the recreations of food.Resisting not to eat another meal x_xI guess I should get Chow’s book of all the best street foods, so I know what to get/how its made/what it translates to
This is interesting. Street food is not so simple after all. I didn’t realize the satays were brushed with coconut milk.
The pork dish looks sumptuous and so is that satay one. I took a couple of cooking classes during my visits, any plans of hosting these classes? I’m pretty sure you’ll do well! 🙂
The squid dish looks amazing.
Excited to visit Bangkok to try all those 🙂
That sounds like a fun project.
Looks fantastic! The joke about squid (which isn’t really that much of a joke) is that you cook it for either two minutes or two hours.
Squid is so often rubbery that I think that it naturally is rubbery. In addition to the squid a lot of folks also like to eat the squid ink.A lot of folks like free range cattle, however wild pig is probably the holy grail of pork eating.Looks like you will not lose weight by being unemployed. Ms Chow seems to be good company to hang around with.
I am now very hungry – the squid is calling to me! This sounds like a very productive use of your time – hope you can find a full time position soon.
Well someone has to do it lol = street food can be as complicated as indoor eating. I sorta like the outside places at times.
I love the fact that you guys are recreating street food for the rest of us! It looks and sounds very complicated, but totally yummy!
I hear Anthony Bourdaine is hiring…
Back in 83 or 84 I was in the south Nakon Si Thamarat (sp) I was shocked. The local school presented us with breakfast, a bowl of rice with a touch of ginger. I couldn’t belive it tasted just like our oatmeal. My friends didn’t belive me until they tried. None of us spoke Thai and none of them spoke English. Every Thai I meet I ask about this, but not one person I’ve spoke to has any idea of what it might have been. I love Thai. Thai hot beef salad yummy!
These look really amazing.
Sometimes, adventure can be found in the most casual things, and this post is a great example of that, no doubt. And the squid salad’s dressing sounds lovely. Thank you for sharing that experience of yours with us =)
You make even squid sound tasty! The pork, though…I can’t bring myself to eat fat. I know everyone says it’s where all the flavor is, but there is just something about the bite and mouth feel…
Now I am hungry<:) The dishes made ion Chow”s kitchen were more appealing to me. I am curious about the squid. We had pizza with squid on it many years ago and it was rubbery. Is it always a bit rubbery?
All of that stuff looks delicious.
The food, as described, is very appealing. May I suggest you invest a camera like my Canon s100? That would seal the deal.
Now you’ve made me hungry! Everything looked yummy altho’ am not sure about squid.
so informative and interesting about the street food and the region. i of course as you know love all of it. i also thought your previous entry about elvis amusing
Hey…are you on unemployment?Wait a minute…this is the perfect time to visit you, isn’t it?!
@Wangium – Unemployed but not on unemployment. However, it would still be a good time to visit.
oh my. i’m getting hungry already.
@rudyhou – C’mon over for a visit!
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