Thai Sausage-Chiang Mai Style
Submitted by don
Homemade Sai Oua: ground pork packed with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, cilantro root, and dried chilies, stuffed into natural casings and charbroiled. Northern Thai sausage done right.
YIELD
5 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
2 hrsSai Oua is the pride of Chiang Mai’s street food scene, and making it at home is easier than you’d think.
Ground pork gets mixed with a pounded paste of dried chilies, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro root, kaffir lime zest, garlic, and red onion.
Add fish sauce, fresh cilantro leaves, and shredded kaffir lime leaves, stuff the mixture into cleaned natural casings, and you’ve got authentic Northern Thai sausage ready for the grill.
Charbroil until the casing turns golden and snaps when you bite through it.
Slice into thick coins and serve with sticky rice and raw vegetables, the way they do it in the night markets of Chiang Mai.
Pro Tips
- Clean the natural casings thoroughly with salt and water, turning them inside out and rinsing until there’s no smell left
- Poke small holes in the casing with a needle wherever you see air bubbles, and again while grilling to prevent the sausage from bursting
- Cook over medium-low heat so the filling cooks through before the casing chars too much
- These freeze well before cooking; wrap individual links tightly and thaw overnight in the fridge when the craving hits
Ingredients
Directions
Turn the casing inside out and rub with ¼ cup salt and a little water gently but very well.
Rinse again and again until it become odorless.
Then turn it right side out and squeeze out the excess water.
Combine softened dried chilies, ½ teaspoon salt, lemon grass, cilantro roots, Kaffir lime zest, galanga, garlic and onions in a blender and grind to a paste.
Mix the chili paste, pork, Kaffir lime leaves, cilantro leaves and fish sauce well.
Tie a knot a one end of the casing and stuff with the pork mixture.
Tie another knot to close.
Poke a few holes with a clean needles where the bubbles are present inside.
Charbroil or fry over medium-low heat until golden brown and fully cooked.
Poke a few holes while cooking to prevent rupturing.
Slice into ½ inch thick pieces. Serve with cooked sticky rice and raw vegetables.
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