Chinese Pork Skewers
These Chinese Pork Skewers are sweet, spicy, and incredibly juicy. They're marinated with salt and garlic before being caramelized with a fish sauce glaze and generously seasoned with cumin, fennel, and chili flakes. You can cook them on the grill or broil them in the oven.
Equipment
- 12 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight)
Ingredients
Pork & Marinade
- 2 pounds pork shoulder (or pork belly, or pork chops, cut into ½-inch chunks)
- 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Dry Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Fish Sauce Glaze
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
Instructions
- Add chopped pork, salt, and garlic to a large bowl. Use your hands to massage the meat. Allow the meat to marinate in the fridge for 40 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Use a spice grinder or pestle and mortar to coarsely grind the chili flakes, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds. Stir in the brown sugar and salt.
- Preheat your broiler to 500℉ and line a roasting pan with foil and add 1 cup of water or salt. This will absorb fat drippings and prevent smoke.
- Now, it's time to thread the meat. Push the pork pieces through the pointy end of the skewer. About 8-10 pieces per skewer. They should fit snuggly with no space in between. Lay the pork skewers on the baking rack.
- Combine the fish sauce and honey in a small bowl and brush the tops of the pork.
- Broil on the top rack for 3-4 minutes until they have a nice char, then flip them over, brush with glaze, and broil for another 3-4 minutes.
- Brush the tops with more glaze and sprinkle generously with the ground spice mixture. Return to the oven for another minute. Flip them over, brush with a final layer of glaze, generously sprinkle with spices, and cook for another minute. Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: If you have leftovers, unthread the pork and store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 28gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 1698mgPotassium: 568mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 326IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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