Sai Ua, a style of sausage found in northwestern Thailand, is a delightful meat snack that contains more fresh herbs than most sausages and acts as a flavorful addition to soups and stir-fries. The herbal profile of the sausage goes well with the brininess of the clams, brought together by the spicy and savory chile paste−infused beer broth. If you think the sausage recipe is too involved, you can substitute chorizo with additional lemongrass.
Active preparation time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 day, if preparing your own sausage
Serves: 4
Thai Sausage and Clams
2 stalks lemongrass
10 Kaffir lime leaves
8 cloves garlic
1 large peeled shallot
2 Thai chiles (or 1 jalapeño)
1" (25 mm) piece of peeled ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbs (30 ml) fish sauce
2−3 roots of cilantro (use stems if roots are unavailable)
½ Tbs brown sugar
Salt to taste
¾ lb (340 g) ground pork
¼ lb (113 g) ground pork fat