Moo Ping
Moo ping is Thailand's answer to the breakfast grab-and-go, sold from smoky charcoal grills on nearly every street corner from early morning until late at night, most often alongside a bag of warm sticky rice. Thin slices of pork are marinated in a paste of pounded coriander root, garlic and white pepper, sweetened with palm sugar and enriched with a little coconut milk, which helps keep the lean meat from drying out over the fire. The skewers are threaded so the pork lies flat rather than in chunks, which lets the meat cook quickly and evenly while the sugar in the marinade caramelises into a slightly charred, sticky glaze. Eaten straight off the stick or torn up over sticky rice, moo ping is often dipped into jaew, a sour-spicy sauce of chilli, fish sauce, lime and toasted rice powder.
Coriander root, not just leaf
Pounded roots give the marinade its deep, earthy backbone.
Coconut milk in the marinade
Keeps the lean pork moist over direct charcoal heat.
Grilled over real charcoal
Live fire is what gives moo ping its smoky, caramelised edge.
Always with sticky rice
Sold as a pair from the same street carts across Thailand.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 600g pork shoulder or pork collar, thinly sliced
- 4 coriander roots, finely chopped (or coriander stems)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 2 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 100ml coconut milk
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in water, plus sticky rice and jaew dipping sauce, to serve
How to make it
- 1Pound the coriander roots, garlic and white peppercorns together in a mortar and pestle until you have a smooth, fragrant paste.
- 2Combine the paste with the palm sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce and coconut milk in a bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- 3Add the sliced pork to the marinade and massage it in well, making sure every piece is coated.
- 4Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, though overnight gives a deeper flavour and more tender meat.
- 5Thread the marinated pork onto the soaked bamboo skewers, weaving the slices back and forth so they lie flat and cook evenly.
- 6Grill the skewers over medium-hot charcoal, turning every minute or two, until the edges are caramelised and slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes total.
- 7Baste with any leftover marinade in the final few minutes of grilling, then serve hot straight off the coals with sticky rice and jaew dipping sauce.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
