Thai Grilled Pork Skewers – Moo Ping
Moo Ping, or Thai grilled pork skewers, is a beloved street food classic that embodies the vibrant and aromatic flavors of Thai cuisine. This dish, hailing from the bustling markets of Thailand, offers a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and slightly smoky notes, making it an irresistible treat.
Marinated in a blend of garlic, coridander, and fish sauce, and gently caramelized with a hint of coconut milk and palm sugar, these succulent pork skewers are grilled on the Big Green Egg delivering a char that enhances their juicy tenderness.
Whether you’re looking for an impressive appetizer, or simply craving a taste of Thailand, Moo Ping is sure to captivate your palate and transport you to the heart of Southeast Asia with every bite.
Note: Toasted rice powder for the dipping sauce needs to be made in advance.
Recipe Credit: Nick Rourke
Serves 6
Cooking surfaces
BBQ Temperature
Ingredients
- 20g garlic cloves, minced
- 15g coriander incl stems, chopped plus fresh for garnish
- 30g palm sugar
- 15ml fish sauce
- 15ml soy sauce
- 15ml oyster sauce
- 6g ground white pepper
- 2g MSG powder (optional or use salt)
- 900g pork neck fillets
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk (tins with 60% min coconut)
Moo Ping Dipping Sauce
- 120ml fish sauce
- 30g sugar
- 20g garlic cloves, minced, approx 4 cloves
- 1 tsp dried thai chilli powder
- 335ml rice vinegar
- 30g toasted rice powder
Toasted Rice Powder
- 100g glutinous rice
- 3 slices galangal root (or substitute ginger)
- 1 bird’s eye chilli
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 lemongrass stalk, sliced thinly
Method
- In a small bowl, combine garlic, coriander stems, palm sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and MSG (if using), and stir until palm sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Freeze pork for 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes (partially freezing the pork makes it easier to slice). Using a sharp chef’s knife or slicing knife, slice pork against the grain into 5 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, and 1/2 cm thick strips. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is, to start by portioning the pork neck into 5cm wide by 2.5cm thick pieces, and then slicing those pieces crosswise into 1/2 cm thick strips.
- Combine pork and marinade in a large bowl, and toss until every piece of meat is evenly coated in marinade. Cover tightly with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 36 hours.
- Thread one piece of pork onto a skewer, piercing it through twice to secure it, then pushing meat tightly together like an accordion. Continue threading pork onto skewer, making sure meat is tightly bunched together, leaving no parts of the skewer exposed except for a 5cm handle at the bottom, and the pointy tip at the top. Repeat skewering process with remaining pork.
- Setup your Big Green Egg for a direct cook at 200°C with just your stainless steel grid.
- Place skewers directly on the stainless steel grid. Using a brush, brush the pork with coconut cream.
- Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning skewers and brushing pork with coconut cream frequently, until meat is lightly charred. If flare-ups occur, move skewers around as needed to get them away from the flames.
- Cook your pork until it has a good colour and the internal temperature of the pork has reached at least 64°C.
- Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve with lime wedges, coriander and dipping sauce.
To make the dipping sauce
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and give it a good zhuzh!
To make the toasted rice powder
- Setup your Big Green Egg for a direct cook at 200°C with just your stainless steel grid and heat up a frying pan.
- Add the rice to the pan, followed by galangal/ginger, some dried chilli and the lime leaves.
- Slowly roast until golden brown, be careful not to burn the rice.
- Once the rice is uniformly roasted, allow to cool to room temperature and transfer to spice grinder or food blender and blitz to a powder.
- Store in airtight container for up to 1 month.