Pork is often eaten in Vietnam in preference to beef because pigs are easier to farm and keep in the various country dwellings. Barbequeing is a very American idea but may have been introduced by the French during colonial times when meats and vegetables could be cooked over an open fire. The key feature is to make sure the pork cubes are marinaded in a hot sauce such as hoisin with honey and chili to add sweetness and fire.
Whilst a barbeque would be the ideal place to try these Vietnamese barbequed pork skewers, it is probably easier to place the meat under a hot grill and cook accordingly. It’s Vietnamese because of the use of various sauces to marinade the pork pieces but to be honest any marinade sauce can be used as long as the flavour of the pork is allowed to come through. This version is based on our Vietnamese contacts who suggested the idea for a summer event many years ago.
Equipment:
- Barbeque set
- 16 bamboo skewers – just soak in water for at least an hour before skewering the meat
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (500g) streaky pork, cut into cubes and suitable for placing on a skewer.
Marinade:
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp very hot chili sauce
- ground black pepper to season the meat with
Serve with thinly sliced pieces of cucumber
Preparation:
- Either heat up a grill to its maximum setting or get that barbecue to a nice ember glowing heat.
- Make the marinade of honey, hoisin sauce, chili and black pepper.
- Coat the pork in the sauce and leave for at least 20 minutes to soak in.
- Probably best to wear disposable kitchen gloves but skewer the pork cubes.
- Place on the barbeque grill or under the kitchen grill. Let the pork sizzle and then just baste with any remaining marinade to keep the pork as moist as possible.
- Keep warm by placing the skewers on top of aluminium foil so that they remain warm without drying out.
Leave a Reply