Nam Sausage – Fermented Sour Pork Sausage
Nam Sausage, also known as Som Moo or fermented sour pork sausage, is a tangy favorite in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine. Fermented with pork meat, pork skin, and seasonings, it delivers a delicious sour flavor loved by many.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground pork
- 7 ounce pork skin. You can find it in the frozen section of the Asian grocery store.
- 1 cup cooked sticky ric. Make sticky rice with this recipe.
- 3.5 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1.5 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp MSG. Optional
- 15-20 fresh Thai chili peppers. Keep them whole. They will be used in the wrapping process.
- 10 large cloves garlic, sliced long and thin. They will be used in the wrapping process.
Instructions
- 1
Start by soaking the pork skin in a bowl of water with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes. After soaking, give it a good rinse with cold water. Then, trim the skin into 1-inch pieces to prepare it for your recipe.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine minced pork, shredded pork skin, garlic, ground pepper, salt, and MSG. Whisk well until the pork is finely ground to a sticky texture. To make sure it’s just the way you like it, pop a small portion in the microwave for a quick taste test. If needed, adjust the salt and MSG to suit your flavor preferences.
- 3
Divide the mixture into small blocks or your preferred shapes. I like to shape mine into mini burritos. Before tightly wrapping each piece, add a small chili pepper and a thin slice of garlic for an extra kick of flavor.
- 4
Leave the wrapped sausage at room temperature for 2–3 days to allow the fermentation process to develop a sour flavor.
- 5
Once fermented, remove the sausages from the wraps. Pan-fry in a little oil until golden brown and lightly crisp outside.
- 6
Serve the crispy fried Nam Lao Sour Sausage with sticky rice or as part of a refreshing crispy fried rice balls salad.
- 7
After fermenting, store the sausage in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation and preserve freshness.