Pad kra pao with crispy fried eggs

The cook

1. 01

   Step 1SORT THE FIRE

   Light a kettle BBQ with lumpwood charcoal and bank the fully lit coals to one side, leaving a clear cooler zone. Allow around 20–30 minutes for lighting before cooking. Set a sturdy steel wok securely on the cooking grate above the coals. You want strong direct heat, not flames licking around a wobbling pan.

2. 02

   Step 2GET EVERYTHING READY

   Pound the garlic and chillies into a rough paste with a pestle and mortar, or chop them finely together. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Have the pork, basil and serving plates beside you, and keep the cooked rice hot. This is a fast cook. Prep now, swagger later.

3. 03

   Step 3FRY THE EGGS

   Heat the 45 ml oil in the wok until shimmering. Crack in one egg close to the oil and fry for 1–2 minutes, carefully spooning hot oil over the white until set, with crisp golden edges. Keep the yolk runny if that's your thing. Lift onto a warm plate and repeat with the second egg. Keep the wok steady and never let oil spill onto the coals.

4. 04

   Step 4WAKE UP THE GARLIC

   Move the wok to the cooler zone and carefully spoon the leftover frying oil into a heatproof container. Add the fresh 15 ml oil, return the wok to direct heat and stir-fry the garlic-chilli paste for 15–20 seconds. Stop short of browning the garlic — burnt garlic is bitter, not bold.

5. 05

   Step 5BROWN THE PORK

   Add the pork and spread it across the wok. Leave it for about 45 seconds to catch some colour, then break it apart with your spatula. Stir-fry for 5–7 minutes, letting released moisture evaporate so the mince fries rather than sits in a puddle. Move the wok towards the cooler zone if anything starts scorching.

6. 06

   Step 6MAKE IT GLOSSY

   Pour in the mixed sauce and toss hard for 1–2 minutes, until it clings to the pork with a little juicy sauce left for the rice. Check the mince reaches 75°C with an instant-read thermometer, gathering it into a mound so the probe tip sits in the meat rather than against the wok.

7. 07

   Step 7BASIL IN, FIRE OFF

   Move the wok off the heat and fold in the holy basil until just wilted. Rest the pork in the wok off the BBQ for 2 minutes. This is a short pause, not a long sit — keep that basil lively.

8. 08

   Step 8PILE IT UP

   Divide the hot jasmine rice between two plates. Spoon over the pork and every drop of sauce, then top each serving with a crispy egg. Serve straight away. Crack the yolk, mix it through and get stuck in.