Grilled Pork Shoulder

Combine the garlic, cilantro roots (or stems), and peppercorns in a granite mortar and pound to a coarse paste, about 45 seconds.

Place the pork shoulder in a large mixing bowl and top with the garlic-cilantro paste, Maggi sauce and sugar. Massage with your hands to coat the pork well with the seasonings. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Heat a grill, preferably charcoal, or a lightly oiled grill pan to cook over medium heat. Cook the pork, flipping once, until it’s well browned on both sides, slightly charred, and just cooked through, about 8 minutes total.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, chiles, and sugar in a bowl and stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Arrange the pork slices on a plate and serve with dipping sauce in a small bowl.

Tips

• Cilantro roots may be difficult to find since cilantro is usually sold with the roots cut off. The stems can be substituted instead.
• Roll the limes along the counter with the palm of your hand to help with extracting more juice.
• The spicy dipping sauce can be prepared while the pork is marinating. All of the dipping sauce ingredients except for the cilantro leaves can be mixed together ahead of time.
• It’s best if the cilantro leaves are stirred into the dipping sauce just before serving since the lime juice will start to wilt the leaves. However, I’ve successfully kept leftover sauce in the refrigerator for a few days.