Sai Ua (ไส้อั่ว) are an iconic dish in Northern Thailand. These sausages are made with fatty pork and packed with aromatic herbs and spices. Grilled over hot coals, they are served with sticky rice and other dishes or as a snack.
You will need coarsely ground pork with a fat content of 30%. For each kilo (2.2 lbs) of pork combine 10-12 dried chilies, 6 slices of roughly chopped fresh galangal, 2 stalks of thinly sliced lemongrass (white part only), 10cm (4″) of fresh turmeric (or 3 teaspoons of ground turmeric), ⅔ of a cup of chopped shallots, 8 cloves of garlic, the zest from a kaffir lime (or ½ a lime), 2 teaspoons of fermented shrimp paste (preferably Thai) and 6 teaspoons of Thai fish sauce in a food processor or blender and process to a fine paste. You can also pound the ingredients with a mortar and pestle adding the fish sauce last. To make the sausage mix, combine the pork with the paste. Thoroughly mix by hand or use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for 1 minute or so. Everything should be well combined but not overworked. Now, for every kilo of pork, add 10 finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, 12 finely chopped coriander (cilantro) stems and 2 finely sliced green onions and mix through. Rest the mixture, ideally overnight, before filling your sausage casings. Make sure you prick the sausages to prevent breakages and let them rest for a couple of hours before cooking over hot coals or on a barbecue. This mix is also suitable for skinless sausages or patties.
*adapted from this recipe by Pailin “Pai” Chongchitnant
michelle picker cooks 