Neua Pad Kra Pao recipe (Thai stir-fried minced beef and holy basil) by celebrity Chef David Thompson
- 240 grams beef skirt (with fat)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
- pork lard (a little, if at hand)
- 2/3 cups water
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 milliliters dark soy sauce (about 2 drops)
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 handful holy basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons garlic (heaped tablespoons, peeled)
- 1 pinch sea salt (large)
- 20 scud chillies (red or green)
- 2 pinches holy basil buds (large pinches holy basil buds and tops and the occasional leaves)
- 1 cup fish sauce
- 20 scud chillies (sliced)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled, sliced)
Chop the beef by hand as finely as possible. Don't be afraid to add some gristle; it needs to be rather fatty.
Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, and basil to make a coarse paste.
In a bowl, combine the nahm pla prik ingredients (this keeps for a few days).
Fry the eggs in hot oil. Lift out and go somewhere warm.
Leave only a few teaspoons of oil after draining the majority of it.
If using, add the lard
Add the paste and stir-fry for a short while
Add the minced beef and stir-fry for another 30 seconds or more, until just done. Apply water to moisten.
Season the meat with fish sauce, black soy sauce, and sugar. Take care not to salt it excessively. With the basil, it should taste rich, fiery, salty, and spicy.
Serve with plenty of hot rice, the fried eggs, and a side bowl of nahm plaa prik. Enjoy youe Thai Neua Pad Kra Pao!