Grilled Pork with Mango Tomato Honey Sauce

Think of Thai food and the first images that come to mind are fragrant herbs and aromatics — lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves — tropical fruits, creamy curries, stir-fried noodles and jasmine rice.

While these are all typical Thai ingredients and dishes, visitors to the Land of Smiles might be surprised to find that there’s another common ingredient found in everything from noodle soup and phad grapao to simply grilled on a stick — pork.

In the northern part of the country, pork plays a particularly prominent role with local sausages like naem, a fermented sour sausage, and sai oua, stuffed full of chillies and herbs, eaten both in dishes and on their own. 

While pork may not be quite as prevalent in the rest of Thailand, specifically in the deep south where seafood and beef reign supreme, many Thai dishes show influences of traditional Chinese flavours and cooking techniques which regularly include the succulent meat.

At 5-star hotels across the country, talented chefs are raising the humble ingredient up to new levels and, with the Year of the Pig just around the corner in 2019, what better time to take a peek at some thoroughly indulgent pork dishes. 

To bring out the flavours even more, the dish below highlights a pairing recommendation made by Bart Duykers of Andaman Wine Club from each restaurant’s wine list.   andaman-wine-club.com; [email protected]

Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa

The tropical take on a classic pork chop from Sous Chef de Cuisine Suppakon Bunyawong at Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa’s Latest Recipe restaurant offers the perfect blend of a classic dish with a dash of creativity. Marinated in olive oil, black pepper, rosémary, thyme and salt before being grilled, the well-done pork chop is then topped with a tomato mango salsa and mango tomato honey sauce. While the pork chop is certainly satisfying, the side of deep fried and mashed potatoes is also a sure-fire win.

Wine companion: The tropical sauces here will add a sweetness to this pork dish, which will be nicely matched with a glass of Australian Stonefish sauv-blanc from Margaret River. Fresh and lively on the palate you’ll find an appealing mix of tropical fruit, with pear and citrus. Uncomplicated with a soft progression to a clean finish.

lemeridien.com/kohsamui