Lemongrass Pork Shoulder Skewers

It's been hot, sunny, and generally awesome for a while now here in Seattle, so Katrina and I decided to get the grill out and try out a new dish that I've been wanting to make – lemongrass pork skewers. These have been a favorite of mine at every outdoor festival that has an Asian food stall. The citrus-y flavor of the lemongrass with the soy and fish sauce taste incredible on charcoal-cooked meats. Serving it on a stick reminds me of being a kid in the summer and barbecuing with my family.

This recipe is easy to put together and super wallet friendly. Pork shoulder is one of my favorite cuts of meat because of its low cost and ability to hold flavor. It's nice and fatty which is amazing for grilling. The fat content renders off during grilling and mixes with the brown sugar in the marinade to create a glaze that is unreal.

Ingredients - makes 4 servings

2lbs boneless pork 

1 stalk lemongrass

1 shallot

3 cloves garlic

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

1. Before starting your marinade, soak a handful of bamboo skewers in water. I used a baking sheet with a plate on top of the skewers to submerge them. 

2. Mince the lemongrass, shallots and garlic then add to a small bowl. You want a pretty fine mince on the lemongrass since the stalks can be a bit fibrous and are not the most pleasant to chew on. 

3. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and vegetable oil to create a slurry, then pour over your sliced pieces of pork shoulder, and allow to marinade in the refrigerator for a 2-3 hours. 

4. After marinating, take the pork pieces and weave them onto the skewer in a back and forth motion - like an accordion - so that the meat is well seated on the bamboo. 

5. Place your skewered meats on the grill for about 8-10 minutes a side, depending on how thick you sliced your pork, and serve hot off the grill. 

If you don't want to eat these as finger food, the meat is perfect for a banh mi sandwich – just slide the pork off the skewer and throw it on a french roll with carrots, cilantro, jalapenos and a bit of mayonnaise. Enjoy!