Moo Ping is a Thai style grilled pork dish. Thin pieces of pork are marinated in a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, sugar and coriander. The meat is then placed on skewers and grilled over hot coal. Moo Ping is usually served with white rice.
During grilling, the meat is brushed with unsweetened coconut milk. The coconut milk tenderizes the pork and also helps to keep the thin pieces of meat from drying out during cooking. Coconut milk is a key ingredient in making Moo Ping and is included in most recipes as well as cilantro or coriander root. (Cilantro and Coriander are the same plant, cilantro referring to the leaves and coriander to the seeds).
Some Moo Ping variations include kaffir leaves in the marinade. Kaffir leaves which come from the Kaffir lime plant, are native to Asia. They have a spicy citrus flavor.
Origin & Cultural Significance
Moo Ping or Mu Ping is most popular as a street food. In Thailand, there is no shortage of street vendors cooking up Moo Ping in the early morning hours when it’s eaten by commuters for breakfast, all through the day and late-night markets where it’s enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.
Thai Moo Ping Recipe
Ingredients
- Pork butt– 20 oz.
Marinade
- Garlic cloves- 4
- Coriander roots - 4
- White Peppercorns - 1 tsp
- Soy sauce – ½ tbsp
- Seasoning sauce – ½ tsp
- Salt – ½ salt
- Dark soy sauce – ½ tbsp
- Oyster sauce – 2 tbsp
- Palm sugar – 1 tbsp
- Seasoning powder – ½ tsp
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Tapioca flour – ½ tbsp
- Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 3-4 hours before use.
Instructions
- Slice pork thinly, about 2cm thick.
- Pound the coriander root, garlic and white peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or pulse in a spice blender.
- Make a marinade paste by mixing the ground spices with the rest of the marinade ingredients.
- Cover the pork and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- Thread the pork onto the soaked skewers. (Soaking stops the skewers from burning and breaking into pieces while grilling)
- Grill the pork skewers over medium heat until slightly charred on the outside and cooked through on the inside. This usually takes just a few minutes per side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 491Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 1217mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 34g