Thai is one of my favorite cuisines to eat and to cook. I love all the spices and the fresh ingredients used to create deliciously fragrant and quick meals. And I love spicy! This one here is perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a lazy Sunday lunch. And if you have not tried Thai cooking before, do not be intimidated! This recipe is super easy and a great way to get you on your way to try more Thai dishes.
The video has a quick overview of the recipe at the beginning, but I encourage you to watch the entire thing to learn some great tips like how to tell your steak is cooked to your desired doneness just by touch.
Thank you to my friend Alex for cooking with me. We had so much fun.
The recipe and instructions follow below and per usual Variations, and Do Ahead are included at the end of the recipe. Enjoy!
Makes 8 skewers Difficulty level: easy peasy
Ingredients:
- 3/4 pound ground pork
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
- 1 cup cilantro , chopped (I don’t use cilantro in the video. I decided to add some later for more flavor.
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 8 lemongrass stocks, trimmed and slightly bruised
- Sweet chili sauce to serve
Instructions:
Place the ground pork, crushed garlic, chopped cilantro, sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
Divide into 8 portions and mold each one into a ball. It may help to dampen your hands before shaping the mixture to prevent sticking.
Stick a length of lemongrass halfway into each ball, then press the meat mixture around the lemongrass to make an elongated meatball shape.
Cook the pork sticks on a hot grill (or under the broiler) for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve with the chili sauce for dipping.
Variations:
- You can use ground beef, ground turkey, or a combination
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice
- Add a tablespoon of grated ginger to the pork mixture
Do Ahead:
The ground pork mixture can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
