This recipe is the ultimate Thai marinade for ground or minced pork. You can use it to flavor dumpling and deep-fried wontons fillings, Thai style pork balls (which are often in Thai soups like daikon soup ), or even the pork in Thai pork toasts.
Why This Recipe Works
Ground pork is the star of many Thai dishes, and marinating it before cooking can elevate those dishes to taste like they were made by a chef!
This quick Thai marinade is authentic and very easy to make. It ensures that the ground pork in your Thai dishes are not bland. What's so special about it is that it's got that flavor of the famous Thai saam gler สามเกลอ, which includes cilantro roots, white peppercorns, and garlic.
Saam gler literally translates to three friends. These 3 ingredients are the base of many Thai meat marinades.
Video Tutorial
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Sugar: Yes, sugar. We use this to round out the flavor of many, many savory things.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Finely pound the cilantro roots with a pestle in a mortar.
Step 2: Once the cilantro roots are finely pounded, add the white peppercorns and continue to pound.
Step 3: Add the garlic and pound until everything is well-mixed and fine. Scoop the mixture off the mortar and set aside.
Step 4: In a mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sugar, and saam gler mixture to the ground pork.
Step 5: Use your hand to mix all the ingredients together and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Tips
1. Every time you buy fresh cilantro, don't throw the roots away! Remember to cut, thoroughly rinse, and freeze them for future use.
2. You can make saam gler and preserve it in an ice cube tray so that you don't need to find the fresh ingredients every time you want to make this easy Thai marinade.
3. The longer you let the pork sit in the marinade, the better it is.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
How To Marinate Ground Pork Thai Style
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cilantro roots rinsed
- ½ teaspoon white peppercorns
- 1 head garlic peeled
- 10.6 ounces ground pork
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pinch sugar
Instructions
- Once the cilantro roots are finely pounded, add the white peppercorns and continue to pound.
- Add the garlic and pound until everything is well-mixed and fine. Scoop the mixture off the mortar and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sugar, and saam gler mixture to the ground pork.
- Use your hand to mix all the ingredients together and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Every time you buy fresh cilantro, don't throw the roots away! Remember to cut, thoroughly rinse, and freeze them for future use.
- Every time you buy fresh cilantro, don't throw the roots away! Remember to cut, thoroughly rinse, and freeze them for future use.
- The longer you let the pork sit in the marinade, the better it is.