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Sekai Gohan
Sai Ua: Northern Thai Herb Pork Sausage in Caul Fat
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Pork shoulder, about 70% lean, cubed | 2.2 lb (1 kg) | The meat and fat that carry the herbs |
| Garlic (กระเทียม) | 2 oz (60 g) | The base of the aroma |
| Fresh turmeric (ขมิ้น) | ¾ oz (20 g) | Yellow color and an earthy scent |
| Thai shallots (หอมแดง) | 1¾ oz (50 g) | Sweetness and aroma |
| Galangal (ข่า) | 1 oz (30 g) | A cool, piney fragrance |
| Lemongrass (ตะไคร้), sliced | 1½ oz (40 g) | Citrus aroma |
| Large dried chillies (พริกแห้ง), soaked in water | scant ½ oz (12 g) | Heat and red color |
| Coriander root (รากผักชี) | 1½ oz (40 g) | The earthy backbone of the paste |
| Makrut lime leaves (ใบมะกรูด) | 10 leaves | Bright citrus perfume |
| Fish sauce (น้ำปลา) | 2¾ oz (80 g) | Salt and savor |
| Curry powder | 0.2 oz (5 g) | A quiet supporting spice |
| Caul fat | enough to wrap 12 sausages | The thin fat lace that wraps each sausage |
| Bird's eye chillies, sliced, for serving | to taste | Fresh heat at the table |
| Fresh mint, for serving | as needed | Cool contrast to the fat |
| Lettuce leaves and herbs, for serving | as needed | For wrapping bites |
| Lime juice and fish sauce, for the dip | to taste | A sharp, salty dip |
| Sticky rice, for serving | as needed | The usual partner |
Steps
1Roast the aromatics until soft
Heat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Spread the garlic, fresh turmeric, Thai shallots, galangal and sliced lemongrass on a roasting tray. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes. The aromatics are ready when the shallots and garlic give easily under the back of a spoon and the edges have only just begun to color.
Hot trayUse an oven glove to take out the tray, and let the aromatics cool before you handle them by hand.
2Pound everything into a fine paste
Once the roasted aromatics are cool enough to touch, put them in the mortar. Lift the soaked chillies out of their water and add them, along with the coriander root and the torn lime leaves. Pound with steady strokes and scrape down the sides as you go. Stop when you have a fine, damp paste and no long strands of lemongrass catch on the pestle.
Roast before you poundRoasting softens the fibrous roots so they pound smoothly. It also rounds off their raw bite, and that gives the sausage its depth. Pounding raw aromatics gives a sharper, greener result.
3Mix with the pork and mince coarsely
In a large bowl, work the paste, fish sauce and curry powder through the cubed pork until every piece is coated. Pass the mixture through the mincer on its coarsest plate, into a chilled bowl. Cover it and refrigerate. It is ready when the mixture feels cold to the touch all the way through and the white fat still shows as separate flecks.
4Test-fry a small piece and adjust
Pinch off a small amount of the mixture and flatten it into a thin round. Fry it in a small skillet until it is browned on both sides and cooked through with no pink left. Taste it, then adjust the saltiness with a little more fish sauce and the heat with a little more chilli. Mix any additions in gently and test again until the flavor is right.
Season by tasting, not by guessingThe salt in fish sauce varies by bottle, and the heat in dried chillies varies by batch. A cooked test piece is the only reliable guide. Once the sausages are wrapped, you can no longer change them.
5Portion and wrap in caul fat
Weigh the mixture into 3½ oz (100 g) portions and shape each one into a short log. Lay a piece of caul fat flat on the board, set a portion on it and roll it up so the lace overlaps itself by a little. Trim off any extra fat and keep the finished sausages in a row on a tray. Each one is done when the fat covers it completely and the seam holds without pressing.
6Grill slowly over low charcoal
Let the charcoal burn down until it glows with no tall flame, then set the sausages over it. Turn them often with tongs. The caul fat melts into the meat and browns as it renders. A strong fire burns the fat before the center cooks, so move any sausage that flares to a cooler part of the grill. They are done when the surface is evenly browned and a thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C).