Tom Saap
ต้มแซ่บกระดูกอ่อน·(tom saap kraduk oon)
Sunday Simmers: Deep Thai Heritage
A heavy Dutch oven sits on the back burner. The broth steeps with bruised makrut lime leaves. The toasted rice powder waits nearby. The kitchen warms, fogging up the windows while pork ribs break down until the bone slips out clean. The secret is technique: parboiling the ribs for a crystal-clear broth, toasting the aromatics to wake up their oils, and never, ever boiling the lime juice. Ladle the broth, hit it with lime, and let the sour heat do its job.
Before you start
Ask the butcher for help.
Standard American supermarkets sell pork spare ribs, so ask the butcher to run the rack through their bandsaw, cutting across the bones at 1.5-inch intervals to save you the knife work.
Ingredients
- pork spare ribs or baby back ribs1 1/2 lb
- water6 cup
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- fresh lemongrass stalks2 med
- piece fresh or frozen galangal1 med
- Thai shallots4 med
- fresh Kaffir lime leaves6 large
- tamarind paste1 1/2 tbsp
- Thai fish sauce4 tbsp
- palm sugar1 tsp
- dried Thai bird's eye chilies5 small
- fresh Thai bird's eye chilies4 small
- straw or button mushrooms1 cup
- fresh lime juice4 tbsp
- Khao Khua2 tbsp
- fresh culantro1/2 cup
- fresh cilantro leaves1/2 cup
- scallions2 med
Method
- 01
Parboil the pork ribs.
Place the ribs in a large pot, cover with cold water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a rapid boil for 5 minutes. Dump the contents into a colander, rinse the ribs thoroughly under cold water to remove the scum, and wash the pot clean.
- 02
Simmer the clean ribs.
Return the clean ribs to the pot with 6 cups of fresh water, bring to a boil, then drop the heat to the lowest possible simmer and cook partially covered for 45 to 60 minutes until tender.
- 03
Toast the aromatics.
While the ribs simmer, place a dry skillet over medium-low heat and toast the bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal, halved shallots, and dried chilies for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant and slightly blistered, removing the chilies early so they don't burn.
- 04
Infuse the broth.
When the pork has 15 minutes left to simmer, drop in the toasted lemongrass, galangal, shallots, torn kaffir lime leaves, bruised fresh chilies, and mushrooms.
- 05
Season the base.
Stir in the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar, letting the soup gently bubble for the final 5 minutes so the flavors meld.
- 06
Remove from heat and add the acid.
Turn off the stove completely before stirring in the fresh lime juice. Boiling lime juice alters its chemical structure and turns it bitter; adding it off the heat preserves its sharp, fresh bite.
- 07
Garnish and serve.
Stir in the toasted rice powder to slightly thicken the broth, ladle into large bowls, and top generously with the culantro, cilantro, scallions, and toasted dried chilies.
Notes
Toast your own rice powder.
If you cannot find Khao Khua at the market, toast 2 tablespoons of uncooked sticky or jasmine rice in a dry skillet until it looks like light brown sand, then pulverize it in a spice grinder.
Use the freezer for aromatics.
Galangal and kaffir lime leaves freeze exceptionally well and can be dropped directly into the hot broth with zero loss of flavor.
From Cook Thai in America.