Lemongrass Barbecued Pork

I learned to make this recipe for Barbecue Pork with Lemon Grass (Mu Yang Takrai) in 1995 or 1996 from the Colonel and Muoi Khuntilanont in Korat, Thailand. It is an easy and very yummy Thai Barbecue dish.

This is essentially street food: meat (usually pork) is threaded on
skewers or satay sticks and cooked over a charcoal braziere, and then
served along with a dipping sauce in a small plastic bag.

It makes an easy recipe for a summer afternoon's barbeque for home chefs. Your guests will delight at the smokey fragrant skewers.

Alternatively you can make it with pork spareribs or babyback ribs, pork chops, chicken, or even beef.

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer, serves 2-4 as an entree in a Thai meal.

1 pound of pork cut into bite sized pieces (loin is perfect)

for the marinade:
10 tablespoons of palm sugar
10 tablespoons of nam pla (fish sauce)
10 tablespoons dark soy sauce
10 tablespoons of takrai (lemon grass), sliced very thinly
5 tablespoons of whiskey (Thai Whiskey if available or bourbon)
5 tablespoons of hom daeng (shallots), sliced very thinly
5 tablespoons of kratiem (garlic), minced
5 tablespoons of coconut milk
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon prikthai (black pepper), freshly ground

Mix the marinade ingredients, except the coconut milk and in a saucepan
or wok, simmer until reduced to about half the original volume. Allow to
cool, and add the coconut milk, stirring until combined.

Marinade the meat for 3-8 hours in the refrigerator, then drain well, and
thread onto skewers.

Barbeque the meat until done, but don't overcook- low and slow, don't burn the meat.

Heat the marinade until simmering, stirring for 3-5 minutes (to cook any
blood that has dripped from the marinading meat, and hence sterilize it),
and serve as a dipping sauce for the meat.

Dipping Sauce

4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 red Thai chile, finely chopped
1 green Thai chile, finely chopped

Mix ingredients together and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Set aside. Can be made a day ahead.