Mu Yang Takrai - BBQ pork with lemon grass

As part of my series of recipes for the short short summer in temperate 
latitudes, here is yet another Thai barbeque recipe. 

This is essentially a hawker food: meat (usually pork) is threaded on 
skewers or satay sticks and cooked over a charcoal braziere, and then 
served along with a dipping sauce in a small plastic bag. 

It makes an easy recipe for a summer afternoon's barbeque. 

Alternatively you can make it with pork chops or even with spareribs or 
chicken pieces... it even makes a barbeque sauce for hamburgers and hot 
dogs... 

Ingredients 

1 pound of pork cut into bite sized pieces 

for the marinade 

10 tablespoons of palm sugar 
10 tablespoons of nam pla (fish sauce) 
10 tablespoons dark soy sauce 
10 tablespoons of takrai (lemon grass), sliced very thinly 
5 tablespoons of whiskey 
5 tablespoons of hom daeng (shallots), sliced very thinly 
5 tablespoons of kratiem (garlic), minced 
5 tablespoons of coconut milk 
3 tablespoons sesame oil 
1 tablespoon prikthai (black pepper), freshly ground 

Method 

Mix the marinade ingredients, except the coconut milk and in a saucepan 
or wok, simmer until reduced to about half the original volume. Allow to 
cool, and add the coconut milk, stirring until combined. 

Marinade the meat for 1-3 hours in a cool place, then drain well, and 
thread onto skewers. 

Barbeque the meat until cooked. 

Heat the marinade until simmering, stirring for 1-2 minutes (to cook any 
blood that has dripped from the marinading meat, and hence sterilize 
it), and serve as a dipping sauce for the meat.