Thai pork skewers, known in Thailand as moo ping, are one of the great arguments for cooking outside. They are simple, smoky, sweet-salty, and they come with warm sticky rice and a little pot of sharp, chilli-hot dipping sauce. The pork gets a deep caramelised edge from the marinade, the rice cools the heat, and the sauce wakes everything up. A barbecue, a ridged griddle pan, or the grill setting on your oven will all do a fine job.

Why This Pairing Works So Well

Sticky rice is not just a side. In northeast Thailand and Laos, it is the utensil, the sponge, and the balance. Its chewy, faintly sweet grains mop up the pork's juices and the dipping sauce without turning soggy. The pork brings fat, salt, and caramel; the sauce brings sourness, heat, and a little funk from fish sauce. That trio is the whole point.

In the UK, fish sauce, palm sugar, and glutinous rice are easy to find in Asian grocers and larger supermarkets. Coriander roots come attached to bunched coriander; the rest is ordinary garlic, white pepper, limes, and chillies.

Choosing and Preparing the Pork

Use pork shoulder, sometimes sold as pork shoulder steaks. It has enough fat and connective tissue to stay juicy over high heat. Pork loin is too lean and will dry out. Ask your butcher to slice it thinly, or freeze it for 20 minutes and cut across the grain into 1cm-thick slices. Aim for 500g to serve four as a snack or two as a main with rice.

• 500g pork shoulder, sliced thinly across the grain
• 20-24 bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for brushing the grill or pan

Thread the pork onto the skewers loosely. If you pack it tightly, the meat steams instead of caramelising. Leave a small gap between pieces and keep the skewer ends bare for turning.

The Marinade That Does the Work

The marinade is where the flavour is built. You want sweet, salty, aromatic, and a little richness. Pound the aromatics to a paste so they cling to the pork. No pestle and mortar? Finely chop and mash with the back of a knife.

• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp palm sugar, grated or finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 coriander roots, washed well
• 1 tsp white peppercorns, or 1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Pound the garlic, coriander roots, and white pepper to a rough paste. Add the palm sugar and pound again. Stir in the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and coconut milk. Pour over the pork, mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight is better. The sugar helps the edges caramelise; the fish sauce seasons the meat through.

Cooking Sticky Rice So It Steams, Not Clumps

Thai sticky rice is glutinous rice, but it contains no gluten. It needs soaking and steaming, not boiling. Rinse 300g of rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in plenty of cold water for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain well.

Line a bamboo steamer basket with muslin or a clean tea towel and spread the rice evenly. Set it over a pan of boiling water, cover, and steam for 20-25 minutes. Turn the rice once halfway through with a spoon. If you do not have a bamboo basket, use a metal colander lined with muslin, set over a pan with a tight-fitting lid. The rice is ready when it is tender, chewy, and translucent at the edges.

Keep it warm in a covered bowl lined with a tea towel; uncovered rice dries out and turns hard.

Grilling for Caramelisation and Smoke

Get your barbecue, griddle pan, or oven grill very hot. Brush the bars or pan with a little oil. Lay the skewers down and leave them alone for 3-4 minutes. Turn once, then cook for another 3-4 minutes. You want deep brown patches, not black. If the pork is thick, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish. Pork should be cooked but still juicy; cut into the thickest piece to check.

If you want extra shine and flavour, brush the skewers with a little coconut milk during the last minute. Do not baste with the raw marinade unless you have boiled it first. Watch for flare-ups from the sugar, and move the skewers away from direct flames if they catch.

The Tangy Dipping Sauce and How to Serve

The classic partner is nam jim jeaw: sour, salty, sweet, and hot. Warm 3 tbsp tamarind paste, 2 tbsp fish sauce, and 2 tbsp palm sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it cool slightly. Stir in 1 tbsp lime juice, 1-2 finely chopped red chillies, 1 tbsp toasted rice powder, 1 finely sliced shallot, and a little chopped coriander. Taste: add more lime if too sweet, more sugar if too sharp.

Serve the skewers hot with warm sticky rice, the dipping sauce, and some cool cucumber or lettuce leaves. Eat with your fingers: pinch a little rice, dip it in the sauce, and add a piece of pork. Leftover rice can be cooled, covered, and steamed again; the pork is best within two days, reheated gently.