Sai krok Isan

Step 1: Food safety first: do not ferment these sausages at room temperature, as street vendors do. Without starter cultures and curing salts, warm fermentation can let harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Clostridium grow. Everything below stays in the fridge until it goes on the grill.

Step 2: Rinse the soaked 1.5 m natural hog casings by running cold water through them, then keep them in fresh cold water.

Step 3: On a board kept for raw meat, put 1 ⅛ lb minced pork shoulder, 7 oz cooked jasmine or sticky rice, 10 cloves garlic, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground white pepper and 1 tsp sugar in a chilled bowl. Mix with clean hands for 2–3 minutes until sticky and evenly mixed, squashing some of the rice grains.

Step 4: Fill the casing firmly with a sausage stuffer, then twist or tie it with kitchen string every 3–4 cm to make round links. Prick each link a few times with a fine needle. No stuffer? Roll the mixture into 3 cm balls and thread them onto skewers instead.

Step 5: Lay the links on a tray in a single layer, cover loosely and refrigerate at below 5 °C for 24–48 hours. They will turn slightly paler and smell gently sour and garlicky. Throw them out if they feel slimy or smell bad.

Step 6: Brush with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and grill over low-medium charcoal or in a pan over a medium-low heat, turning often, for 15–20 minutes until browned and plump. Don't hurry them on high heat: the rice in the filling burns on the outside before the middle is cooked.

Step 7: Cut a link open or use a thermometer: the centre must reach 160°F (160 °F) with no pink. Rest for 3 minutes.

Step 8: Serve hot with ginger, chillies, cabbage, peanuts and lime wedges so everyone can build a mouthful.