Sai Ua - Thai Spicy Herby Sausage

Kasey Coffey
Kasey Coffey @fishsauceinmybag
Brooklyn, NY

Sai Ua is a Northern Thai sausage that’s bold, herbaceous, spicy, and packed with flavor thanks to a fragrant red curry paste. While traditional recipes call for stuffing it into casings, this version keeps it simple: no casing required, which makes it perfect for pan-frying or baking. This recipe is my go-to and comes together beautifully with just a few steps and a little bit of patience.

Sai Ua - Thai Spicy Herby Sausage

Sai Ua is a Northern Thai sausage that’s bold, herbaceous, spicy, and packed with flavor thanks to a fragrant red curry paste. While traditional recipes call for stuffing it into casings, this version keeps it simple: no casing required, which makes it perfect for pan-frying or baking. This recipe is my go-to and comes together beautifully with just a few steps and a little bit of patience.

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Ingredients

2 hr 30 min (including resting time)
6-8 people
  1. 1 lbground pork
  2. 2 stalkslemongrass (bottom half only)
  3. 3-4sliced rounds galangal
  4. 3 (1 inch)knobs turmeric
  5. makrut lime zest from 1/2 lime
  6. 3-8dried thai chilis
  7. 5 clovesgarlic
  8. 1/3 cupshallot
  9. 6-8makrut lime leaves
  10. 1 tspshrimp paste
  11. 1 tbspfish sauce

Cooking Instructions

2 hr 30 min (including resting time)
  1. 1

    In a mortar, add lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and makrut lime zest. Pound until roughly incorporated, it doesn't need to be a fine paste at this point.

  2. 2

    Add chilies and pound until you see red flecks throughout the paste.

  3. 3

    Add garlic and shallots and pound until incorporated. The paste should look a little rustic, and does not need to be pounded super fine.

  4. 4

    Remove the stems of the makrut lime leaves. Finely slice and chop the leaves and mix into the paste.

  5. 5

    Add shrimp paste and fish sauce, and give it a final mix. The curry paste is ready to use.

  6. 6

    In a large mixing bowl, add your ground pork and curry paste. Use gloves and mix by hand until curry paste is incorporated. Alternatively, if you have no gloves, mix with a silicone spatula until curry paste is incorporated. (Gloves are important because you don't want the chilies to burn you or the turmeric to stain your hands orange!)

  7. 7

    Divide the pork mixture into 6-8 equal parts, depending on how big you want your sausages to be. Tightly wrap the sausages into plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

  8. 8

    After the sausage has had time to rest, carefully remove plastic wrap. If pan-frying, add a tablespoon of neutral oil to a skillet over medium heat. Fry for 5-7 minutes, flipping regularly.

  9. 9

    If baking, heat oven to 350F. Once oven is at temperature, place sausage into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

  10. 10

    Serve with sticky rice, dipping sauce, or fresh vegetables.

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Kasey Coffey
Kasey Coffey @fishsauceinmybag
on
Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn-based culinary creative with a deep love for Thai cuisine. I love exploring technique, food history, and the cultural significance behind every dish 🍜✨
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