Cilantro
Cilantro is the fresh leafy herb of Coriandrum sativum, the same annual plant that produces coriander spice. Its green, aromatic leaves and fine stems bring a vivid herbal note to foods such as sai krok Isan.
Modern adaptation
Sai krok Isan, starter-cultured
Sai krok Isan · Sai-krork-ee-saan · Sai-krork-prieo · ไส้กรอกเปรี้ยว
Sai krok Isan is a sour pork-and-rice sausage from northeastern Thailand. This garlic-rich version uses LHP-Dry starter and is cooked after fermentation.
History
Sour pork sausage is part of northeastern Thailand’s sausage tradition. Pork and fat are mixed with cooked rice and seasonings, packed in casings and fermented. Roasted links are eaten with rice or sticky rice, ginger, shallots and cabbage. This version uses a commercial starter and includes lime leaves and cilantro.
Ingredients
Scaling: source batch only
Lean porkTrim sinew and cut into small pieces.
700 g
Pork back fatCut into small pieces.
300 g
18 g
2.5 g
80 g
200 g
Kaffir lime leavesFinely chop.
4
24 g
10 g
8.4 g
13 g
5 g
Amount not stated
LHP-Dry starter cultureRehydrate in 1/4 cup distilled water for 30 minutes per source, for each 1 kg meat.
1.2 mL¼ tsp as recorded
Distilled waterFor starter rehydration.
59 mL¼ cup as recorded
Method
Risks and precautions · High risk
Staphylococcus aureus toxin
Slow acidification during warm meat fermentation can permit growth and heat-stable toxin production.
Hazard sourceSalmonella and pathogenic E. coli
Fermented sausage needs a demonstrated pathogen-reduction process in addition to acidification.
Hazard sourceTrack fermentation temperature and the time needed to acidify, using the degree-hour control appropriate to a validated process.
Control sourceUse a process with demonstrated control of Salmonella and pathogenic E. coli; assess pathogen reduction separately from the pH endpoint.
Control sourceWarm fermentation can allow Staphylococcus aureus to form heat-stable toxin if acidification is too slow; monitor time, temperature and pH together against a validated fermentation schedule.
Heat-stable Staphylococcus aureus toxin can remain after cooking; keep the fermentation within a validated time, temperature and acidification schedule.
- Trim and dice the pork and fat. Chill to 32–34°F (0–1°C).
- Pound salt, curing salt and garlic to a paste in a mortar. Mix in the cooked rice, cilantro and finely chopped lime leaves.
- Rehydrate the LHP-Dry starter in ¼ cup distilled water for 30 minutes.
- Grind the chilled pork and fat through a 10 mm plate. Work in the rice mixture, remaining seasonings and starter until the mince is tacky.
- Stuff into hog casings, tie into 2-inch links and prick air pockets.
- Hang at 80–90°F (27–32°C) for 24 hours, then refrigerate. Cook before eating, bringing the centre to 155°F (68°C).
Conditions
Active time30 min
Fermentation24 h
Temperature controlMulti-stage
Cultures
LHP-Dry — Commercial lactic starter containing Pediococcus acidilactici and Pediococcus pentosaceus.
Maturation
Source does not specify maturation humidity.
Places
Isan, northeastern Thailand
Traditional preparation · Region evidenceRegional sausage tradition; this formula uses commercial starter culture.
Related
Made from
Cooked rice
Cooked rice is rice grain heated in water until its starch gelatinizes; in Thai sour sausage it feeds the bacteria that acidify the meat.
Hog casings
Cleaned, preserved pig intestinal tissue forms a flexible envelope for sausages. Section, calibre and packing affect handling, drying and the finished bite.
Kaffir lime leaves
Kaffir or makrut lime leaves are the aromatic foliage of Citrus hystrix, used whole for infusion or finely cut in soups, curries and seasonings.
Read more
Fermented meat around the world
Dry salami, sour pork with rice, matured sheep and aged blubber follow different paths from animal to food. Their stories connect microbes with climate, slaughter, migration and the meals people share.
Natural casings: the animal envelopes of sausages, puddings and cheeses
Gut, stomach, bladder, caul and skin have held food for as long as recipes have been written down. Which part of the animal a cook chose still decides a food's shape, how it dries and smokes, and how it is eaten.
Salt: the mineral, the work and the foods it makes
Salt seasons a meal, shapes fermentation and preserves food. Its history follows the people who mine, harvest, trade and transform it, and the choices hidden inside an ordinary packet.
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Related in the family
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Sources
2 Guys & A CoolerProcess
Thailand’s – Sai Krok Issan1 kg ingredient formula, 10 mm grind, starter dose and rehydration, casings, fermentation instructions, refrigeration, and cooking direction.
USDA FSISSafety
Ready-to-Eat Fermented, Salt-Cured, and Dried Products GuidelineHazard context for fermented meat; not used as recipe validation.
BCCDCSafety
Fermented Foods Safety GuidanceGeneral fermented-food hazard context; not used to validate this pork sausage.
Canadian Food Inspection AgencySafety
Preventive control recommendations for manufacturing fermented and dried meat productsStaphylococcus aureus heat-stable toxin, fermentation time-temperature-pH control, and separate Salmonella and E. coli reduction controls.
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural SciencesHistory · Names · Use
Sai-krork-prieoThai spelling ไส้กรอกเปรี้ยว, local name Sai-krork-ee-saan, pork-rice sausage and roasted serving with rice, ginger, shallots and cabbage; traditional microbial observations are not assigned to this commercial starter.
Chr. HansenCulture identity
Bactoferm LHP-DRY US Product InformationPediococcus acidilactici and Pediococcus pentosaceus; manufacturer dry-addition direction differs from the culinary recipe's rehydration.