✅A. MAKING THE STOCK & COOKING THE MEAT
We usually use few packs of beef neck bones. Any kind of meat bones with good amount of meat is good. Traditional recipes call for pork neck bones/pork spine/spare ribs.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the meat & leave it in for 3-5 minutes and the meat this time should turn opaque. Drain and briefly run the meat under running tap water.

Return the meat to the pot. Fill it up with 3 litres of water or enough to fully cover the meat. Add 2 tbsp of light soy sauce and 2 tbsp of fish sauce. Cover and bring it to a boil. Pls 📝note that pre-boil or blanching the meat in step #1 is totally optional. You can boil or cook the meat right away and skim off any floating scums or impurities later when it simmers.

✅B. PREPARING THE AROMATICS FOR THE STOCK ~ In the meantime, peel and chop 1 medium size of brown onion. Peel and crush the garlic. See pic below for reference. Next, wash the coriander thoroughly. Cut off the roots. We are going to add these roots into our stock. See pic below for reference. Save the rest of the parts; stems & leaves, for the sauce later. Note that Using coriander roots is optional because some supermarkets sometimes remove the roots before packing them.

When the stock reaches it's boiling point, skim off any floating scums. Add the above, chopped aromatic (onion, garlic, coriander roots) and a good pinch of white pepper powder into the pot. Cover the pot & continue to simmer for another hour or until the meat is very tender. Use low or medium low heat to simmer. 📝Note that, if the meat is still hard, continue to cook and add maybe a cup of water if the stock has receded quite alot.

✅C. MAKING THE SAUCE (see 📝notes #2, #3, #4, #5) While the meat is cooking/simmering, prepare ingredients for the sauce. First, wash and clean coriander. Then finely chop them. See pic below for reference. Press limes for the juice. Keep aside.

Next, peel the garlic cloves & clean the chillies. Chop them. See pic below. Get the rest of the ingredients like the sugar and fish sauce ready.

After an hour or more, (depending on how long it takes to get a fork tender meat), take some of the stock from the meat into a smaller pot. We usually take around 2 1/2 to 3 cups of stock. Bring this stock to a boil. Turn the heat off immediately.

Add ingredients listed to make the sauce (listed in ✅C. MAKING THE SAUCE) - chopped garlic, chopped chillies, fish sauce, lime juice & sugar. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Taste and adjust if you need extra fish sauce or sugar. Next, add half of the chopped coriander into the sauce. We use the rest of the chopped coriander later.

Next, arrange meat bones in a deep plate that can hold some sauce. Ladle the sauce over the meat and top with some chopped coriander. Serve with hot rice.

📝The stock and cooking the meat can also be done using pressure cooker and slow cooker. Preparation for the sauce stays the same.

Other Thai recipes below

Fish in tamarind sauce

Thai Kaeng Som

Thai Steamed Fish

Asian Veggies Salad