Northern Thai Sausage, "Sai Oua"

This sausage comes from the Chiang Mai region of northern Thailand. It can be formed into sausages about 4" long, or into hamburger style patties or meatballs (delicious in guaitiao (noodle soup).

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup garlic, minced
1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon lemongrass very finely chopped
1 teaspoon galangal powder
1 tablespoon shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon Thai chile peppers, finely chopped

Method

Make sure the lemongrass is very finely chopped (put it through a food processor or grind in a mortar and pestle). Combine all the ingredients and stuff a sausage casing and form 4" sausages, or form into patties or meatballs. Fry or broil until cooking to your taste.

Traditionally this is served with sticky rice. These sausages are also sold spiked on wooden skewers as popular "hawker food" throughout Thailand.