Thai style pork neck is a dish you are going to love! This popular dish, often served as an appetizer in Thai restaurants, uses a lesser known pork jowl cut that has the perfect blend of lean meat and fat, making it extremely tender with a nice chew. The recipe is really easy to make and the pork is super tasty, perfect as a starter or as a main. Serve with a dipping sauce for an extra layer of flavor and spice!
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Why Make Thai Style Pork Neck?
I had never heard of pork neck until I moved to Hong Kong. We went to a Thai restaurant, saw it on the menu, and decided to give it a try, not realizing that it would become one of our go-to dishes to order from then on! It's really easy to find at Thai restaurants in Hong Kong, but not so easy, I discovered, in Thai restaurants in Canada or the US (and perhaps other western countries? Comment below if you can find it where you live!).
When I found the pork jowl meat at a meat shop here in Hong Kong, I realized I had to try making this fabulous dish at home. I was thrilled when I was successful at recreating it and now I have to share how you can make it yourself, too. no matter where you are in the world!
Ingredients
- Pork jowl meat (might also be called pork neck)
- Oyster sauce
- Light soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Honey
- White pepper
Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
Instructions
In a bowl, combine the oyster, light soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, and white pepper and mix well. Set aside.
Use a sharp knife to score the pork neck meat on both sides, going WITH the grain, making the scores close to each other (maybe just a few millimeters apart) and about a few millimeters deep, being careful not to cut right through the meat.
Combine the pork neck pieces and marinade in a resealable bag or dish, making sure the pork is well-coated. If using a bag, squeeze out most of the air before sealing it.
Refrigerate the pork and marinate for at least 6 hours.
When ready to cook, set the pork in a single layer on a rack in foil-lined baking pan or sheet. Discard the marinade.
Bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven for 20 minutes, flipping the pork after 10 minutes.
Slice the pork at an angle, across the grain. Serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
When dining at a Thai restaurant, pork neck is often served as an appetizer, so it would only make sense to do the same at home. Eat it as-is or serve it with a dipping sauce like the one included in this recipe, or a "Nam Jim Jeaw" (Jeaw Dipping Sauce) like Hot Thai Kitchen's recipe.
The pork neck would also go great with other Thai dishes like Shrimp Pomelo Salad or Shrimp Pad Thai.
Commonly Asked Questions
What is pork jowl? Pork jowl is pork cut from the pig's cheek and includes lean meat that is marbled with fat. It is thin and relatively flat.
Can I use a different cut of pork like pork tenderloin? Pork tenderloin is too lean for this recipe and won't have the right texture. It is best to stick with pork jowl/neck.
Where can I buy pork jowl? Because of its popularity in Thai and other Asian dishes, you are likely to have better luck finding it in an Asian supermarket where they have fresh meats.
Can I cook it over a grill? Yes! If cooking over a grill, total cooking time would probably be about 10 minutes, flipping the pork halfway through.
More Recipes You Might Like
If you like this Thai style pork neck recipe, you might also like Dry Rub Roast Pork Neck which uses a pork scotch filet cut of meat, but is just as tender as succulent!
If you're looking for more Thai dishes, consider Chicken Skewers with Thai Curry Dipping Sauce and Salmon Coconut Curry.
For Asian style recipes that use pork, check out these recipes:
Tender, succulent, and 100% delicious, you're going to love this Thai style pork neck! I think should definitely be up there with Pad Thai and mango sticky rice and papaya salad and Massaman curry as one of the top Thai dishes to eat. It's definitely a favorite in our house when I make it and now you can make it, too!
~ Lisa.
Recipe
Thai Style Pork Neck
Ingredients
- 500 grams pork jowl (may also be called pork neck)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Dipping Sauce:
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 small Thai chili pepper, finely chopped (remove seeds for less spice)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Equipment
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the oyster, light soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, and white pepper and mix well. Set aside.
- Use a sharp knife to score the pork neck meat on both sides, going WITH the grain, making the scores close to each other (maybe just a few millimeters apart) and about a few millimeters deep, being careful not to cut right through the meat.
- Combine the pork neck pieces and marinade in a resealable bag or dish, making sure the pork is well-coated. If using a bag, squeeze out most of the air before sealing it. Refrigerate the pork and marinate for at least 6 hours.
- Preheat oven 400F/200C.
- Set the pork in a single layer on a rack in foil-lined baking pan or sheet. Discard the marinade.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the pork after 10 minutes.
- Slice the pork at an angle, against the grain. Serve with sliced cucumbers and dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Notes
- Pork jowl is pork cut from the pig's cheek and includes lean meat that is marbled with fat. It is thin and relatively flat.
- I do not recommend using pork tenderloin for this recipe as it will not have the right texture.
- You are likely to have better luck finding pork jowl at an Asian supermarket where they have fresh meats.
- You can cook the pork neck over a grill; cooking time would probably be about 10 minutes, flipping the pork halfway through.
- This recipe was inspired and adapted from, but not limited to, Cooking with Nart's Thai Grilled Pork Neck, SCMP's Thai Style Grilled Pork Neck, and She Simmers Thai Grilled Pork Neck.
Thanks for stopping by! If you make this dish or any of my other recipes, I would love it if you could take the time to comment and rate it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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