2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1 pound pork, thinly sliced into long strips

20–30 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sugar, salt, garlic, fish sauce, and coconut milk.

• Toss the pork strips in the mixture to coat thoroughly. Cover the bowl and marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

• Thread the pork strips onto the bamboo skewers.

• Grill the skewers for about 3 to 5 minutes per side.

• Serve with your favorite sauce or as is.

Using Bamboo Skewers

When using bamboo skewers for grilling, always be sure to soak them in water for at least an hour (to prevent them from catching on fire or charring badly). Another way to reduce charring of the skewers is to make sure as much of the skewer is covered by food as possible — leave only ¼–½ inch of space at the end.