Thai barbecued pork neck
Dammit, we’re not waiting any longer! We’re dusting off the barbie, firing it up, and cooking pork neck if it rains, sleets, snows, or kills us. And what better meat than pork for kicking off the barbecue season in tasty style? And what better cut than neck? It’s juicy, thanks to all the lovely marbling of fat, which slowly renders during cooking and keeps things succulent. Pork is generally excellent with Thai-leaning flavours and the marinade and dipping sauce here have all the hallmark sweet-salty fragrant oomph. You’ll be licking your lips and speeding back for seconds.
If you’re not totally familiar with pork neck (also known as pork collar or scotch fillet), you’re in for a treat. This underrated cut is a dream for grilling because of the perfect balance of meat and fat (your arteries will feel this one). You get that crispy, caramelised exterior while the inside stays tender and pork-ily delish. A whole pork neck (you only need 1kg here) can weigh anywhere from 1.5 - 2.5kg and is super versatile – you can roast, braise or pot-roast it, slice it up for stir-fries, or even turn it into char siu. What would we serve with this? Some steamed jasmine rice, and maybe a greens-heavy vegetable stir-fry, ,or a big leafy salad with plenty of juicy tomatoes, avo and cucumber, with a simple garlicky vinaigrette. (Scatter over some roasted chopped cashews, peanuts or toasted sesame seeds, and/or fried shallots too if you want to Asian-ise the salad situation a little).
SERVES 4-6 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
45g (¼ cup) shaved palm sugar
2 tbsp clear rice wine
1 kg piece of pork neck, trimmed and cut into 1cm-thick slices
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
Dipping sauce
1 tbsp sticky (glutinous) rice
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped
6 red Asian shallots, thinly sliced
60ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp finely shaved palm sugar
60ml (¼ cup) lime juice
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
Combine the garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar and rice wine in a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pork slices and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
For the dipping sauce, heat a small, non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sticky rice and cook, shaking the pan often, for 6-7 minutes or until golden. Cool. Transfer to an electric spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Drain the pork well, reserving the marinade.
Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the pork slices, in batches (using the extra oil if necessary), and cook, basting with the reserved marinade and turning once, for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until only just cooked through. Season with freshly ground black pepper, if desired, and transfer to a platter. Cover loosely with foil to rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the dipping sauce on the side.
