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    Home » Recipes by Category » Main Dishes

    Published: Apr 29, 2022 by Nart · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Thai Garlic Pepper Pork | Moo Gratiem

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Thai garlic pepper pork is an irresistible dish that is very easy to make and can be whipped up in 20 minutes! It's great with rice or porridge. Add cucumber slices to the combo and there you have the perfect dinner for any evening.

    Thai garlic pepper pork in a white bowl

    Why This Recipe Works

    If I have to name a Thai dish that pretty much every Thai kid and adult loves, Thai garlic pepper pork, known as moo gratiem (หมูกระเทียม) or moo tod gratiem prik thai (หมูทอดกระเทียมพริกไทย) in Thai, definitely comes to mind. Why this dish? Because it's so tasty and such an easy pork recipe to make. Also, there's no chili in it, so you don't have to worry about it being too hot for kids.

    For those who don't eat pork, there are other variations of this dish as well. Here, people do make or order garlic pepper chicken, beef, seafood or even tofu. Most of the ingredients required are basic sauces for cooking Asian. There might be one or two that you may not be familiar with but they're sure worth having if you love to cook Asian food.

    Ooh, and make sure you enjoy it with this bael fruit drink, such a great combo!

    Ingredients You Need

    Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

    ingredients for making Thai garlic pork or หมูกระเทียม

    Ingredient Notes

    White Peppercorns: This is a must. Pounded whole white peppercorns give a much stronger scent than white pepper powder and that's what makes this dish delicious. 

    Pork: I prefer to use the cut with just a bit of fat or none at all but you can use any cut you like.

    Oyster Sauce: This sauce keeps the pork moist and also adds a bit of saltiness and thickness to all the other ingredients that will coat the pork. 

    Sweet Soy Sauce: If you've read enough Thai recipes, you might have noticed we use sugar in our cooking. In Thai cuisine, we don't always add sugar to actually sweeten food. A lot of times we just use it to round out the flavor. For this dish, though, we're using sweet soy sauce instead of sugar because it helps us achieve that nice dark brown color that sugar won't. 😉

    Step-By-Step Instructions

    process shots of how to make Thai garlic pepper pork

    Step 1: Add white peppercorns to the mortar

    Step 2: Pound with a pestle until fine.

    Step 3: Add garlic to the mortar.

    Step 4: Roughly pound the garlic while the pepper is still in the mortar.

    process shots of how to marinate garlic pork

    Step 5: Put the pork that has already been cut into pieces in a bowl and season with salt.

    Step 6: Add the pounded white peppercorns and garlic mixture.

    Step 7: Massage to mix everything with your hand for about a minute and set aside.

    Step 8: Set a pan over medium heat.

    process shots of how to make Thai garlic pork

    Step 9: Add oil to the pan.

    Step 10: Fry the marinated pork in the pan.

    Step 11: Add oyster sauce.

    Step 12: Add soy sauce.

    process shots of how to make moo gratiem

    Step 11: Add sweet soy sauce.

    Step 12: Continue to fry the pork for another few minutes or until done.

    What To Serve With This Dish

    a piece of Thai garlic pepper pork being picked out of a bowl with chopsticks

    When it comes to serving Thai garlic pork, you can serve it with steamed rice or porridge. If you're sharing it with other people, serve it in a bowl or dish and use a spoon to take some of the pork to your own dish/bowl. If you're having this dish on your own, simply place it over or on the side or rice and enjoy with cucumber slices.

    I have to mention that Sriracha sauce goes so well with moo tod gratiem. If you already have the sauce at home, be sure to try this dish with it!

    Storage

    Thai garlic pork garnished with cilantro in a white bowl

    If you don't finish this dish in one go or you want to prepare it in advance, you can put it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

    When you're ready to eat, simply microwave it at the highest heat for 1-2 minutes.

    📖 Recipe

    Thai garlic pepper pork in a white bowl

    Thai Garlic Pepper Pork Recipe

    Thai garlic pepper pork is an irresistible dish that is very easy to make and can be whipped up in 20 minutes! It's great with rice or porridge. Add cucumber slices to the combo and there you have the perfect dinner for any evening.
    5 from 26 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Main Dishes
    Cuisine: Thai
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 395kcal
    Author: Nart

    Equipment

    • Mortar and pestle

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
    • 2 ½ heads garlic pealed
    • 200 grams pork cut into pieces
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
    • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ teaspoon sweet soy sauce
    • 3 cilantro leaves for garnish
    • cucumber slices
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Add the white peppercorns to the mortar and pound until fine.In a mortar, pound the white peppercorns until fine with a pestle. Add the garlic and give it a few pounds. The garlic doesn't need to be fine.
    • With the pounded white peppercorns still in the mortar, add the garlic to it and roughly pound. Make sure the garlic is not too fine.
    • Place the pork in a bowl and season with salt and the garlic and pepper mixture. Massage to mix everything together for about 1 minute.
      Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the pork once the oil is hot.
    • Set a pan over medium heat and add oil to the pan.
    • Place the pork in the pan to fry.
    • Season the pork with oyster sauce, soy sauce and sweet soy sauce.
    • Remove from heat when the pork is done and serve with rice or porridge or let cool and store in the refrigerator.

    Video

    Notes

    1. Don't use replace whole white peppercorns with pepper powder. Pounded whole peppercorns give a much stronger scent than white pepper powder and that's what makes this dish delicious. 
    2. You can use any cut of pork you like. I recommend one with just a bit of fat or none at all.
    3. Don't omit this sauce because it keeps the pork moist and also adds a bit of saltiness and thickness to all the other ingredients that will coat the pork. 
    4.  
      A lot of times we use sugar to round out the flavor of Thai dishes. But for Thai garlic pepper pork, it's better to use sweet soy sauce it helps us achieve that nice dark brown color sugar won't.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 395kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 20gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1045mgPotassium: 441mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingwithnart or tag #cookingwithnart!

    « Thai Steamed Squid with Lime Sauce
    Bael Fruit Drink | Nam Matoom »

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kim says

      September 26, 2022 at 10:13 am

      5 stars
      This was so dang good! Tasted just like at Thai restaurants! I made it with textured soy protein aka TVP aka soy curls. After rehydrating TVP, I squeezed the water out, then airfried the pieces for a bit to remove some moisture, then pan fried them with the garlic and plenty of oil to draw out excess moisture and prevent sticking to the pan. Texture came out great this way. Thank you so much, Nart! I’ve also shared this with my mom, as this is her fav dish at Thai restaurants.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 18, 2022 at 10:09 am

        Hi Kim! So happy to hear this. Thank you so much for your kind words!

        Reply
    2. NorCal Nymph says

      September 16, 2022 at 6:44 am

      5 stars
      This is the first Thai dish that I fell for some 30-odd years ago, and I've search for a recipe for years. Soooooo delicious!! And just how I remember it. Thanks, Nart!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 18, 2022 at 10:08 am

        You're welcome!

        Reply
    3. Mino says

      September 06, 2021 at 8:16 am

      Thanks for recipe. Please can you advise which part of pork do you use?

      Many thanks

      Reply
      • Nart says

        October 13, 2021 at 10:51 am

        Oh, actually any you want but I normally go with the loin 🙂

        Reply
    4. Charla says

      December 14, 2020 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      What a beautiful close up shot. My sister in law will love this recipe.

      Reply
    5. Jacqueline Meldrum says

      December 14, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      I've never tried white peppercorns before. I will have to try them and see if it makes a difference.

      Reply
    6. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

      December 14, 2020 at 3:21 pm

      5 stars
      Looks so easy and delicious. Can't wait to make this.

      Reply
    7. Chenée Lewis says

      December 14, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so easy and delicious!!! Pinning for later!

      Reply
    8. Jessie says

      December 14, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds amazing and so easy to make. Trying this for dinner this week.

      Reply
    9. Sivaranjani says

      June 17, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      Spicy and yummy one...

      Reply
      • Nart says

        June 23, 2020 at 2:58 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    10. kalyon munnaluru says

      June 15, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      Very Simple yet looks tasty dish !

      Reply
      • Nart says

        June 23, 2020 at 2:37 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    11. Patrice says

      June 14, 2020 at 3:31 am

      5 stars
      I love Thai food but don't make it nearly enough at home. This recipe looks both delicious and easy to make.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        June 15, 2020 at 4:03 pm

        Thank you so much! It is 🙂

        Reply
    12. Ana says

      June 13, 2020 at 3:29 am

      5 stars
      Oh wao, I'd love to eat those with some mashed potatoes and asparagus!!!!!!
      Thanks for sharing this.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        June 15, 2020 at 4:07 pm

        Great choices! You're very welcome 🙂

        Reply
    13. Renee says

      June 13, 2020 at 1:32 am

      I love garlic, I love Thai, and I love pork. I totally can't wait to make this

      Reply
      • Nart says

        June 15, 2020 at 4:08 pm

        Enjoy then!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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