Sous Vide Thai Pork with Cashews

There's something simply amazing about deep fried cashew nuts - especially when paired with Thai-inspired tender sous vide pork. We recommend serving this dish on rice for an authentic feel.

Author

Christina Wylie

Christina Wylie is an award-winning writer, author, editor, food stylist, recipe creator, entrepreneur and radio host whose work has been featured in The Times & The Sunday Times, Time Out (Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai), Traveler’s Digest, Fah Thai Magazine, Broadsheet, Wining & Dining and many other internationally renowned publications. In 2013, after almost a decade of working as an international journalist, Christina founded the online lifestyle magazine The GAB Magazine, for which she now leads a team of 60 writers based all across Australia. She then founded Samui Life Magazine in 2016. After working as a recipe creator for Anova Culinary for over a year, she signed a cookbook contract with the American-based, international publishing company Quarto. Her cookbook, titled The Sous Vide Kitchen: Techniques, Ideas, and More Than 100 Recipes to Cook at Home, was published worldwide in 2017. She wrote, styled, and photographed everything that you see within that book. In 2017 she opened her first restaurant, Bootlegger, in Koh Samui, Thailand. She is currently in the initial stages of launching Bootlegger 2 in Phuket in 2018, and is looking to open Bootlegger 3 in Bangkok in 2019. She is currently working towards stepping into the world of food and travel presenting. As an entrepreneur herself, Christina co-founded the charity initiative Project Gen Z in 2015 to teach orphaned Cambodian children entrepreneurial skills. A British expat born and raised in Hong Kong, Christina has worked across the globe, and has lived in Thailand, London, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa over the years.

Prep Time: 00:20

Recipe Time: 16:00

Temperature : 158F / 70C

Ingredients

• 1 pound (about 500g) boneless pork ribs
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) unsalted cashews
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) palm sugar or packed dark brown sugar
• 2 small Thai red chiles
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dark soy sauce
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• Steamed rice, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 158ºF (70ºC).
2. Divide the ribs between 2 large zipper lock or vacuum seal bags. Seal the bags using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting. Place the bags in the water bath and set the timer for 16 hours. Cover the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize water evaporation. Add water intermittently to keep the ribs submerged.
3. About 15 minutes before the ribs are finished, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350ºF in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cashews and fry until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool, roughly chop. Set aside.
4. Pound palm sugar, chiles, and garlic in a mortar and pestle until finely ground. Stir in fish sauce.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath. Remove the ribs from the bags and pat dry. Discard cooking liquid.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the ribs and sear on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and slice into bite-sized pieces. Toss with dark soy sauce in a large bowl.
3. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add the ribs and soy sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Return ribs to bowl and add the scallion, fried cashews, and dressing. Toss to coat. Serve with steamed rice.