Thai Grilled Pork (Moo Ping) with Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce (Nam Jim Jaew)
- Makes4 to 6 servings
- Cook Time50 minutes
- Active time plus coolingplus refrigeration
- 6
The Thai grilled pork dish called moo ping is garlicky, salty-sweet and umami-rich. When the seasoned meat and its fatty bits get some crisping and char over live fire, complex layers of flavors are created. At Baan Padthai restaurant in Bangkok, we learned to make moo ping by marinating pork neck—also called pork collar, the well-marbled meat at the top of the shoulder—in a simple but high-powered mixture of garlic, cilantro root, sweetener, Golden Mountain sauce (a Thai soy-based seasoning) and black pepper before grilling the meat hot and fast. At Milk Street, we adapted Baan Padthai’s formula, substituting cilantro stems for the root and using fish sauce instead of Golden Mountain for savoriness. For the pork, we chose boneless country-style spareribs, which have a good ratio of meat to fat and offer both tenderness and a little chew. Moo ping is served with nam jim jaew, a spicy lime-shallot dipping sauce that perfectly balances the fattiness of the pork. A key ingredient in the sauce is ground toasted rice, or khao kua, which provides nutty notes and a little clingability. Baan Padthai sprinkled toasted rice over their grilled pork as a garnish, along with sliced shallot and fresh mint. We loved the color and flavor of these embellishments and add them, too. Steamed jasmine rice is an excellent accompaniment to moo ping.
Don’t forget to pierce the meat all over before applying the seasoning paste. This ensures the flavors make their way into the center of the pieces. Also, don’t forget to oil the grill grates before cooking the pork. This will help guard against sticking as the sugar in the seasoning paste caramelizes on the exterior of the meat.
Step 1
To prepare the pork, in an 8-inch baking dish or a wide, shallow bowl, combine the sugar, oil, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro stems, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Step 2
If the country-style spare ribs are more than ¾ inch thick, use a sharp chef’s knife to cut each one in half lengthwise against the grain. Using the tip of a paring knife, make small, deep cuts all over the meat. Add the pork to the mixture in the bowl, rubbing to thoroughly coat on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Step 3
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In an 8-inch skillet over medium, toast the rice, occasionally shaking the pan, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and cool completely, then pulse to a coarse powder, 8 to 10 pulses. Measure 1½ tablespoons rice powder into a small bowl, then stir in 1 tablespoon water, the fish sauce, lime juice, minced shallot, cilantro, sugar and pepper flakes. Cover and set aside at room temperature until ready to use. Reserve the remaining rice powder for garnishing the pork.
Step 4
When you are ready to cook the pork, remove the meat from the baking dish and pat it dry. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare a charcoal or gas grill.
Step 5
For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute the coals evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the grate. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high and heat, covered, for 15 minutes, then clean and oil the grate.
Step 6
Place the pork on the hot side of the grill (if using charcoal) and cook, uncovered and without turning, until deeply browned on the bottom, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook, turning as needed, until the pork is deeply browned all over, about another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Cut the pork crosswise into ¼-inch slices and return it to the platter, then pour on any accumulated juices. Sprinkle with the reserved rice powder, then top with the cilantro, mint and sliced shallot, separating the rings. Serve with the dipping sauce.