SAI GROG TOD - ISAN STYLE SAUSAGES

An original Colonel & Muoi Khuntilanont recipe...

I guess every country has some variant on sausages, and this is the local isan (NE Thailand) variety.

If you have sausage casing you can of course make this in conventional sausage form, however as this is a messy job you can also do as we do and form the sausage meat into patties the size of small hamburgers and eat them that way.

Thai sausages use rice as the filler/binder to extend the meat.

sai grog (the actual sausage)

ingedients

1 pound minced pork
quarter cup minced garlic
half cup of steamed sticky rice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
quarter cup lime juice
2 tablespoons of fish sauce

method

Combine the ingredients and place in a covered dish in a cool place overnight.

Stuff your sausage casings, or form patties or meat balls from the mixture.

Steam for 30 minutes.

================================

sai grog tod (a sausage meal)

ingredients

sausages (see above)

quarter cup each of:

freshly roasted peanuts
ginger, sliced very thinly
shallots, sliced very thinly
lemon grass, bruised and sliced very thinly
prik ki nu (green birdseye chilis), julienned

method

Place the sausages on a grating over a charcoal brazier and cover with an upturned wok or other metal cover to trap smoke, and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-6 minutes (until cooked to a golden brown).

If you have formed sausages, they should be sliced on the diagonal into quarter inch thick slices.

Arrange on a platter with the accompaniments, and serve with your favorite dips (such as nam jim satay and nam prik narok perhaps)

If you've made patties of the sausage meat, then serve as "Thai hamburgers" and add your favorite relish.