As part of making the Thai-Style Jok with Pork Meatballs, I also made the Prik Nam Som recipe from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Wok cookbook.

I’ve made prik nam som before, just by putting some mild(er) chilies in vinegar. I understand nam pla prik is supposed to be made with spicy Thai chilies, but prik nam som is supposed to be less spicy.

Kenji’s recipe is a little closer to a pickle with the addition of boiling water, sugar, and garlic. He calls for serrano or Thai bird chilies, which would have very different heat levels. I went with jalapeño as the store was out of serranos.

Kenji’s approach was not signficantly more work than sliced chilies in vinegar (boiling water is the only thing that takes time), but I thought it produced a more nuanced condiment. It was more of a sour-sweet flavor with a hint of spiciness. I liked it. I’ll probably use this recipe whenever I make prik nam som in the future.

I am cooking my way through J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Wok cookbook. Read more about it.