Moo Ping (Thai Grilled Pork Skewers): The Grill Does the Gathering
Some dishes announce themselves quietly. Moo Ping is not one of them. The moment the skewers hit the charcoal, the smoke goes up and everyone knows what is coming. My mother and her sisters made this at home, and we found it at every market we ever visited, always the same smoky aroma, always the same golden caramelized pork, always the sticky rice alongside. I loved it from the very first time and I have never stopped. Make this for the people around you. Get the grill hot, let the marinade do its work overnight, and trust that the smoke will do the rest. It always brings everyone in.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork shoulder thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro roots chopped
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- Skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
Instructions
- Prepare the Marinade. Combine minced garlic, chopped cilantro roots, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper, and coconut milk in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended.
- Marinate the Pork. Add the thinly sliced pork to the marinade, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for maximum flavor infusion.
- Skewer the Pork. Thread the marinated pork slices onto the soaked skewers, ensuring the pieces are evenly spaced. Weave the skewer through each piece twice so the meat lies flat against the grill surface. This step ensures the pork cooks evenly and makes for easy handling on the grill.
- Grill to Perfection. Place the skewers on the preheated grill. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, occasionally basting with leftover marinade until the pork is cooked and has a nice char.
- Serve.Rest the skewers for two minutes off the grill. Serve with sticky rice and sweet chili sauce alongside.
Notes
The coconut milk in the marinade is not optional, and it is not decorative. It is the structural ingredient that gives Moo Ping its caramelized, glistening surface, the fat coats the pork as it grills and bastes it continuously, producing a caramelization that a soy sauce or water-based marinade cannot achieve. Use full-fat coconut milk. The quarter cup called for is not much, but it is exactly right for the amount of pork in this recipe.
Marinate overnight if you can. Two hours is the minimum and it produces good Moo Ping. Overnight produces the version that tastes like the market vendor's , deeply flavored all the way through, the surface ready to caramelize from the first moment it touches the coals. The morning is a good time to think about dinner. Put the pork in the marinade before you leave for the day and it is ready when you come back.
Thread the pork flat. Curled pork on a skewer cooks unevenly, some parts char while others stay pale. Weave the skewer through each piece twice so the meat lies flat and makes even contact with the grill surface. The market vendors do this. It takes seconds and it changes the result.
Turn the skewers every two minutes. The coconut milk and sugar in the marinade caramelize fast, faster than plain meat, and will burn rather than caramelize if left on one side too long. Frequent turning keeps the surface golden rather than blackened. Keep a brush and the remaining marinade nearby to baste as you go.
Nutrition
Serving: 2skewersCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 20gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 600mgSugar: 4g
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