Sai Qua (Northern Thai Sausage)
One of my favorite Thai dishes is the Northern Thai sausage. Unfortunately, I know of no establishment that offers these, cooked or uncooked. Fortunately, I now have a colleague who is Thai and who can actually cook well. She gave me this recipe and I share it here.
Recipe from Gam (Ackaradejruangsri Pajaree)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup ground pork
1 cup pork belly fat, cut into small dice
5 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely-chopped fresh lemongrass
2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh galangal
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons thin soy sauce
Pound together lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal until fine. And in a large mixing bowl, add pork and the rest of the ingredients, mix them well (better to mix by hand). But do not knead, make sure the pork fat stays in shape.Tie one end of the pork casing with string then use a funnel to force the mixture into the casing. Prevent air bubbles from forming, but do not over-stuff it. Tie the other end. Rest them in refrigerator overnight and now the sausage is ready to cook.