Recipe by Wing Li, executive chef, Linda Modern Thai, Toronto
Some diners may be more familiar with the Korean variant of this dish, the Ssam, which is typically served with galbi (short ribs) or bulgogi (thinly sliced ribeye meat), and a sweet and spicy sauce (ssamjang). However, this way of eating is also quite common in Thailand. What makes this version different from the Korean Ssam is the choice of meat (pork jowls), the use of coconut-flavoured glutinous rice and the dipping sauce.
Pork Jowl ingredients:
450 g pork jowl, fat and skin removed
pork jowl marinade
250 ml water
80 g sugar
100 ml oyster sauce
80 ml light soy sauce
2.5 g (1/2 tsp) garlic powder
20 clove seeds
5 ml (1 tsp) fennel powder
50 ml cooking rice wine
Sides & Serving ingredients:
8 to 10 large Boston lettuce leaves
1/4 red onion, sliced
10 to 12 cucumber slices
ground peanuts
fresh mint leaves
1 cup jasmine rice
coconut milk
Thai sweet chili sauce
Method:
1. About an hour before serving, cook the rice in a rice cooker using a normal setting.
2. After rice is fully cooked, fluff the rice and mix in coconut milk to taste. There should be enough coconut milk added to provide flavour without being overwhelming.
3. To serve, take a leaf of lettuce and add coconut rice, cucumber, peanuts, mint leaves, Thai sweet chili sauce, and pork jowl to the centre of the leaf.
4. Fold the leaf over to form a small packet, like a burrito.
