Rolled into rice paper, these skewers disappear fast. What makes them good is meat that stays springy, smells of lemongrass and glistens the moment it comes off the grill. The awkward part is meat that slides off the stick over the coals.
The meat mixture rests in the freezer for 15 minutes before it is beaten, which is what makes it springy and keeps it clinging to the stick. A full 5 to 7 minutes of beating is what binds it.
This batch weighs about 1.6kg, at roughly 226 calories per 100g.
Method
Wash the pork, pork belly and neck fat in lightly salted water, drain, then mince or grind them finely.
Put the meat and fat in a large bowl, mix well, and leave it in the freezer for 15 minutes so the cold mixture beats up springy.
Wash the lemongrass, strip the tough outer layers and mince it finely. Peel the garlic and shallot, rinse quickly and mince them. Halve the cucumber, scrape out the seeds and cut it into strips, slice the star fruit, and soak the green banana in salted water to soften its astringency. Pick over the herbs, wash them gently and drain them completely.
Mix the pork, pork belly and neck fat with 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced shallot, 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon MSG.
Add 1 tablespoon tapioca starch and beat the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes until it is springy and holds together.
Rub a little cooking oil on your hands so nothing sticks, take a modest amount of meat and mold it around a lemongrass stalk or bamboo skewer, pressing firmly so it stays put on the grill.
Heat the charcoal grill or grill pan and cook the skewers over medium heat, turning them often until golden and fragrant. Roll them in rice paper with fresh herbs, cucumber, star fruit or green banana.
Tips
Cuts with natural fat such as shoulder or belly keep the skewers springy rather than dry.
Pork neck fat is what makes them glossy and fragrant, so cooking oil is not a substitute for it.
Bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes beforehand will not burn.
Beating the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes and molding it firmly is what keeps the meat on the stick.
Molding the meat around a lemongrass stalk lets its scent work into the skewer as it grills.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.