This blog has never pretended to be ahead of the trend, but I do now this for a fact: street food is where its at right now.
Why pay over the odds in a fancy restaurant when you can find some of the tastiest food you are ever likely to it on the street? Get down on it, as they say in fashionable circles (I believe).
One of the most vibrant street foodie scenes is in Brixton, South London, and fellow foodie blogger Miss South has rounded up some of the best recipes from the traders of Brixton for a fab new book thats due for launch very soon.
Im always looking for inspiration so the nice folks of Kitchen Press sent me over a couple of recipes to try.
So here they are: Moo Ping with Roasted Chilli Sauce. (I also cooked up Tarka Dhal, but youll have to seek out the book for the recipe theres no such thing as a free lunch, unless Im paying!)
MOO PING (Chargrilled pork skewers) from Kaosarn.
You can use an inexpensive cut like pork shoulder for this, although Ive got for pork fillet. To get thin slices, pop the meat in the freezer for about 15 minutes before cutting, as it firms it up and makes it easier to slice without tearing.
Makes 12 skewers
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp palm sugar, grated
4 stems coriander root, chopped
1 tbsp ground white pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 tbsp vegetable oil
1kg pork shoulder (or in my case, tenderloin), thinly sliced
1. Put all the ingredients except the pork in the blender and blend until you have a smoothish paste. Pour this over the pork slices and marinate for at least 23 hours (or overnight, if possible) to allow the favours to develop.
2. I only have metal skewers, which seemed to do the trick, but ideally use wooden skewers. About 30 minutes before you want to make the moo-ping, soak 12 wooden skewers in cold water and take the pork out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Then start skewering the pork, making sure the pieces are all flat on one side. Leave enough space on the skewers at the top to allow you to hold them.
3. Grill your moo-ping over hot coals or (in my case) under the hottest grill you can get until they are cooked through and starting to char at the edges. This should take about 5 minutes each side. Serve with roasted chilli sauce and tarka dhal.
ROASTED CHILLI SAUCE (again, from Kaosarn).
This sauce is fantastic. Incredibly favoursome and fendishly hot, it is addictive¦ You can buy ready-ground roasted chillies and ground roasted rice in Asian supermarkets if you can find them, use 2 tablespoons of each. Otherwise, follow the directions in the recipe to make your own.
Makes 240ml
3 tbsp tamarind paste
8 dried red chillies
2 tbsp white rice
2 tbsp palm sugar
6 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1. Heat a dry frying pan. Toast your dried red chillies over a medium heat until you smell them dont let them burn. Take them off the heat when they have crisped up and set them aside. Using the same hot pan, toast your rice until golden brown again, watch it like a hawk so it doesnt burn. Leave it to cool on a plate, and then grind it with the chillies in a coffee grinder or food processor.
3. Next, pay attention to your palm sugar. The paste version used in Thailand is best, but if you can only fnd a solid block youll need to soak it before melting it.
4. Cover about 25g palm sugar with cold water and leave for 15 minutes. Drain and put it in a pan with a tablespoon of water over a high heat, stirring until it melts.
5. Now all your ingredients are prepared, put them in a bowl with the fish sauce and lime juice and stir until well combined.
Serve with moo ping and its also great with grilled steak. Store any excess in a sterilised jar in the fridge.
¢ Recipes from Brixton Village will be published on May 22nd from independent bookshops and the Kitchen Press website. It can be pre-ordered now for delivery as soon as it’s published.