Hong Kong Style Crispy Barbecued Boneless Sucking Pig

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]

The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok

Who can resist a juicy piece of pork with perfectly crisped skin? The Hong Kong Style Crispy Barbecued Boneless Suckling Pig at The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok is especially satisfying. Preparing this divine dish starts by carefully selecting the pig, which Head Chef Cheng Kam Sing says must not be over two months old and weigh between 2.5 – 2.8 kilogrammes. This specification ensures that the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender once it has been slowly simmered, roasted and grilled. Finally, the suckling pig is savoured together with Chinese steamed buns, tangy pickled radish and carrots, and the chef’s special recipe hoisin sauce.

Wine companion: A grenache based wine will be perfect with an aromatic hog roast such as this. There is a tasty red, Les Abeilles Côtes du Rhône on the list, which will do very nicely; fresh and silky on the palate, with a hint of coriander and bay leaf.

Source: theatheneehotel.com