Sai Ua

Sai Ua (Northern Thai Herb Pork Sausage)

The signature grilled sausage of Chiang Mai: minced pork bound with red curry paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime and galangal, hand-coiled into links and smoked over charcoal.

Prep

45 min

Cook

15 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4 (makes 6-8 sausage coils)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) pork shoulder, about 30% fat, diced and chilled
• •150 g (5¼ oz) pork back fat, diced and chilled, or sub 100 g streaky bacon in non-Thai kitchens
• •60 g (¼ cup packed) red curry paste, see step 1; Thai brand recommended (Mae Ploy or Aroy-D)
• •2 tbsp fish sauce, Thai Three Crabs or Tiparos brand
• •1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi), toasted in a dry pan 1 minute until fragrant; non-Thai sub: ½ tsp belacan or skip
• •60 g (½ cup) fresh lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, finely minced (use only the tender bottom third)
• •20 g (about 6 Tbsp) fresh galangal, peeled and finely minced; ginger is not a true substitute (use galangal)
• •8 g (8-10 leaves) kaffir lime leaves, stalks removed, leaves minced very fine; no good substitute, but a pinch of lime zest helps
• •30 g (½ cup loosely packed) fresh coriander leaves and stems, finely chopped
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh Thai basil (horapha), finely chopped; sub: sweet basil or Vietnamese coriander
• •15 g (¼ cup) scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts
• •1 tbsp thin soy sauce, Thai healthy light soy
• •1 tsp ground white pepper
• •1 tsp sugar, palm sugar preferred, granulated works
• •2-3 m (6-10 ft) natural hog casings (sausage tubing), 24-28 mm; soaked in cool water 30 min; or shape as patties without casings

Steps

1. 1 Make the paste base: in a mortar or small food processor, pound together lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and curry paste until it becomes a coarse, wet paste. Toast the shrimp paste in a dry pan over medium heat for 1 minute until aromatic, then add to the paste.
2. 2 Chill the pork shoulder and back fat for 15-20 minutes in the freezer until firm but not frozen solid. Grind through the coarse die (6-8 mm). Keep cold.
3. 3 In a large bowl, combine the cold ground pork, back fat and the herb paste. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and white pepper. Mix by hand in one direction for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is sticky and starts to pull together (the protein has developed).
4. 4 Fold in the chopped coriander, basil and scallions last so the herbs stay bright. Taste a small pinch fried in a pan and adjust salt/fish sauce. Cover and rest 30 minutes in the refrigerator so the aromatics hydrate the meat.
5. 5 Rinse hog casings under cool running water to remove salt; soak in cold water 20-30 minutes. Slide a length of casing onto a sausage-stuffer nozzle or a clean funnel, tying a knot at the end.
6. 6 Load the meat mixture into the stuffer. Push the meat down slowly, guiding the casing off the nozzle as it fills so you get an even coil without air pockets. If a few air bubbles appear, pierce the casing with a clean pin.
7. 7 Portion into 10-12 cm (4-5 in) lengths, twisting the casing every few coils to form individual links, or coil one long rope onto a tray.
8. 8 Set up a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking: pile coals on one side for direct heat, leaving the other side cooler. Aim for a grill temperature of 160-180 °C (320-360 °F) at the cooking zone.
9. 9 Pat sausages dry with paper towels. Grill over the hot (direct) side 2 minutes per side to set the casing and build char, then move to the cooler (indirect) side, close the lid and cook 10-12 minutes more, turning every 2-3 minutes.
10. 10 Cook until the internal temperature reaches 71 °C / 160 °F on an instant-read probe (USDA safe for ground pork) and the casing is blistered and crisp. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
11. 11 Serve with sticky rice, fresh cucumber wedges, long-leaf lettuce cups, and a small bowl of jaew (Northern Thai dipping sauce) made from toasted chili, garlic, fish sauce and lime. Traditionally eaten at room temperature or warm.