Much more than a hamburger, tender cuts of pork are marinated, grilled, and topped with a carrot-daikon slaw. Lemongrass pork sliders are a special and tasty main dish that will surprise your guests at your next cookout. More fun than a regular burger, these sliders have it all: flavor, heat, a touch of sweetness, and crunch.
Lemongrass has a sweet-citrusy flavor and is often used to marinate meat to infuse it with flavor. In order to use lemongrass, you need to finely chop or pound the tender stalk portion. Make sure to peel away and discard the tough outer leaves first before mincing the lemongrass.
This recipe calls for a pork collar which is a portion of the shoulder that runs from the neck to the tip of the loin. It is also referred to as a center-cut boneless pork butt. You can use traditionally raised pork or really up the “wow” factor and use Kurobuta pork.
Lemongrass Pork Sliders Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork collar
Marinade
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons minced lemongrass
- 3 tabespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Carrot-Daikon Slaw
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 2 cups julienned daikon
To Serve
- 4 hamburger buns
- mayonnaise
- lettuce leaves
- sliced jalapeno peppers
- cilantro leaves
- Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
Equipment
- grill
Directions
- Freeze the pork for 2 hours to firm it up for slicing.
- Slice the pork collar into 1/8-inch-thick (3mm) medallions.Tip: If you’re not using a marbled or tender cut like Kurobuta, you can pound the pork slice between two sheets of plastic wrap to make it more thin and tender.
Marinade
- In a bowl, combine the sugar, lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce, vegetable oil, ginger, sesame oil, black pepper, chili flakes, and garlic. It will resemble a thick syrupy slurry.
- Dredge the pork slices in the marinade and stack the dredged steaks in a pan. Cover and refrigerate.
- While the pork is marinating in the slurry marinade, prepare the carrot-daikon slaw.
Carrot-Daikon Slaw
- Mix the vinegar, water, sugar, and fish sauce in a bowl. Add the julienned carrots and daikon. Mix and taste to adjust the seasoning. Let stand in the fridge as you marinate the pork slices. They can be refrigerated for several days.
To Serve
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) or hotter. I prefer a charcoal grill if I have time.
- Remove the pork slices and shake away excess marinade. Discard the marinade.
- Grill the pork slices over direct heat until nicely charred and you can smell the aroma. (Be sure to eat some while you’re grilling and imagine how much Dad’s going to love it.)
- If you’re using an oven, use the broiler and cook for about 6 minutes, flipping once until cooked and nicely seared.
- Lightly toast your hamburger buns.
- Assemble the slider by starting with the mayonnaise spread on both sides of the bun. Add lettuce on the bottom half of the bun, then add the grilled pork slices (I like two per slider). Top with jalapeno slices, carrot-daikon slaw, and some cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, skip it and I won’t tell. Squirt some Sriracha if you like your sliders spicy.
Nutritional Information
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