Thai · Authentic-ish Thai
Grilled Pork Skewers
308 kcal a serving, against 519 for the traditional version. That is 211 kcal off, or 41%, with 35.7g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour plus marinating overnight.
What the traditional version is
Pork shoulder, well-marbled and sliced thick, marinated in coconut milk, palm sugar, garlic, fish sauce, coriander root and a fistful of white pepper. It's threaded on bamboo skewers and grilled over blisteringly hot coals until caramelised on the outside and soft inside. Served either with sticky rice or, more sensibly, torn straight from the skewer with a cold beer.
What changed, and what each change costs
Pork shoulder replaced with pork fillet
Pork fillet is as lean as it gets. You lose the marbling - so the meat is a bit less forgiving if you overcook it, and the skewers don't baste themselves as they grill.
What it costs you. It isn't juicy and sticky, it's clean and springy. You'll need to watch your timings hard or you risk something more like sandpaper. For what it's worth, you taste the marinade more directly.
Cut coconut cream from 120g to 60g and dark sugar from 80g to 24g
This marinade is usually a dessert in disguise. Drop both by half (and then some for the sugar), and what you get is less gloss but still enough sweet and fat to keep the meat tender.
What it costs you. You won't get the thick caramel glaze or that deep, smoky sweetness. You still get a bit of coconut up front, and the spice hangs about. The sugar here is third not first fiddle, but at least the meat isn't swimming in syrup.
Garlic, coriander and white pepper amped up
If you're cutting rich fats, best to get as much punch out of the aromatics as possible - it's the only way to distract from the missing sticky bits.
What it costs you. The flavour is sharper and cleaner, and you get a proper wallop of garlic. If anyone gets too wistful about the old version, hand them a bigger pile of herbs and hope they go away.
Added a bit more soy and a splash of oil to help keep the pork fillet moist
Lean pork needs a touch of help not to dry out. A little oil and a tiny bit more soy do just enough to keep the edges from tightening up.
What it costs you. It won't fool anyone into thinking it's pork shoulder, but the skewers stay tender as long as you don't walk away from the grill.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 519 | 308 |
| Protein | 28.5g | 35.7g |
| Fat | 37.3g | 14.1g |
| Saturated fat | 16g | 5.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 16.4g | 7.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.5g | 11.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Thai prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. fish, gluten, milk, soybeans.
The method is in the book
There's no getting round it - the shoulder version is silkier, sweeter, and more forgiving, and if that's what you're after, don't let me stop you. This take is lighter, spikier and a bit less dramatic, but you can eat double and still walk home. If nothing else, you'll be proud you only needed one napkin.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Thai, along with 50 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.