Grilled pork on skewers (Moo Ping) with sticky rice must be the most popular on-the-go snack in Thailand. I often relish the thought of warm moo ping, mum always prepared for us after we had a swim lesson back in the days.

Moo ping generally is made using pork shoulder – which is a good mix of meat and fats. But not long ago, I came across a vendor who used lean & minced pork instead of the fatty ones. This was a marvelous discovery!!! I could just hand one of these sticks to my child and let him bite off the stick without having to worry about the chewy bits (usually from the fatty part) that might be on there. However, this version of moo ping is rare to come by. Seeing my elder twin’s fondness for it, I decided to make some at home.

I researched quite a bit on how to replicate the original flavor using minced pork but I did not come across any available recipes. So, after many trials and errors, I finally got it right on the 5^th attempt!! That plate of 12 sticks I prepared was quickly gobbled down by my neighboring kids when I got it out during their playtime.

So, here is how I prepared it….

Ingredients:- (12 sticks)

• 200gms pork loin
• 1 tbsp coriander roots
• 1-2 tbsp palm sugar
• ½ cup fresh coconut milk
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (น้ำมันหอย)
• 1 tbsp light soya sauce (ซอสถั่วเหลือง)
• ½ tsp dark soya sauce (ซีอิ๊วดำหวาน)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Sticks*
• The sticks used for moo ping is usually with a sharp tip so that big slices of meat can be skewed on easily. I use the round tops ones to avoid any accident with young children. These, you can easily find in super markets along with other bbq items.

Recipe :-

1. Mince pork in a food processor.
2. Finely crush the coriander roots & garlic using a mortar.
3. Marinate the pork with all ingredients except coconut milk. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Use a tablespoon to scoop up the marinated pork and place it in your left hand. Place a stick on top of the pork, then open & close your left palm, carefully shaping it and flattening it. Make sure the layer is thin. Having a thick layer will leave the meat chewy and dry.
5. Repeat the process with all sticks.
6. Heat a grill pan and spray some oil onto it.
7. Once hot, place the sticks on to the pan and brush coconut milk generously on the moo ping. Grill on low heat for 4-5minutes on each side.
8. Serve hot with some sticky rice.

Remember you can freeze this (at step 5) for later, by spreading it out on a tray so they don’t stick to each other.

Enjoy!!!!