Turmeric Pork Skewers & Thai Basil Dipping Sauce is a delicious turmeric and ginger spiced pork tenderloin skewers with an amazing sauce that will tantalize your sweet, sour, salty and spicy taste buds.
Why you are going to love our Turmeric Pork Skewers
You are going to just love this dish as it is vibrant in taste, makes great use of the “other white meat” and is so simple to prepare. If you are looking for a fun and delicious way to celebrate the last upcoming holiday of the grilling season, Labor Day, you are sorted.
The Special Marinade
The secret for success of this recipe is in the marinade. If you can let your pork tenderloin slices marinade in the bath of turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, coconut oil and fish sauce over night the more tender, juicy and tasty your skewers will be. Turmeric, ginger, onion and garlic are all warming spices and pair nicely with the Thai basil and cilantro lime dipping sauce.
Get Turmeric in your Spice Drawer
If you do not have turmeric in your spice drawer you need to get that sorted as soon as possible as you are missing out on so many delicious dishes but also many positive therapeutic effects. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants and lowers your risk of heart disease. However my favorite reason for using turmeric is the beautiful bright yellow-orange color it gives to curries and many dishes it is in, especially in our Turmeric Pork Skewers.
Cleaning up after a Turmeric Incident
However, there is one small warning when using turmeric is it can stains clothes, kitchen counters, finger nails and even utensils if you do not clean them right away. I don’t normally wear an apron in the kitchen but when I am cooking with turmeric, I do.
So how do you get turmeric off the countertop and clothes… bleach is the answer to that one. I use CIF countertop cleaner, I don’t know if you have that where you live or not…but that works great. I use fresh turmeric and ginger in the recipe. Heck why not, I do live in Asia. Dried ground turmeric and ginger work just fine in this Turmeric Pork Skewers recipe too.
I use a food processor to whiz up the delicious onions, ginger, turmeric, garlic, coconut oil and fish sauce and it is a beautiful vibrant yellow. If you do not have a food processor, you can use a mortar and pestle or just chop up the ingredients finely and mix. If you remember to marinate the pork tenderloins overnight, your Turmeric Pork Skewers are going to be super tender and flavorful.
Thai Basil Dipping Sauce
Now on to this delightful Thai basil dipping sauce. Thai basil is just a beautiful herb and it has an anise like scent. However, I know this herb is difficult to come by anywhere else, if you live outside of Asia, so just swap out for just ordinary basil and this dipping sauce is just as beautiful.
Thailand flavors always hold the balance of sweet, sour, savory and spicy. The only way you know if you hit the balance correctly, is to taste for yourself. Some people like it more spicy, some more sweet and some more sour or salty. I only like mine slightly spicy but my boys love it super spicy so I make a mild and a spicy version for the table. You might also like to try our Prik Nam Pla – The Incredible Thai Table Condiment.
Recipe Exchanges and Substitutions
You can make this sauce diabetic friendly by exchanging out brown sugar with a sugar alternative. If you need to watch your sodium intake or are on a cardiac friendly diet or Paleo diet, hold the fish sauce in the marinade and instead use a little Mrs. Dash while grilling or sprinkle with some dried chili in the grilling process. If you need to follow a low sodium diet, then also skip the fish sauce in the Thai basil dipping sauce as it is high in sodium. Instead add some aromatics like minced ginger, onion or extra chili.
I just cannot believe how fast this summer flew by. My youngest boy just came back from a 30 day Alaskan Mountaineering outdoors NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) adventure. He left a boy and came back a man with loads more experience in wilderness first aid, wilderness survival, leaving no trace behind and how to deal with bear encounters… Next week he will be back in school and I will be having loads of recipes to help you with making those dreaded school lunches and healthy and nutritious meals you can get on your table in less than 30 minutes… Let the insanity begin!!!
More Delicious Recipes with Turmeric
Roasted Turmeric Spiced Turkey Breast
Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Curry
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Turmeric Pork Skewers & Thai Basil Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1.5 inch turmeric
knob peeled and sliced (or 1 heaping teaspoon ground dried turmeric) - 1 inch ginger knob peeled and sliced (or 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger)
- 3/4 cup onion or 1 small onion chopped (can exchange with shallots, if you like)
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and bashed
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1.5 pounds pork tenderloin
cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick (or can use other cuts of pork that you wish but may have to marinate longer) - 10-12 wooden skewers
soak in water for 1/2 hour before using
Thai Basil Dipping Sauce
- 1 tbsp Thai holy basil
(holy basil) chopped or can use regular basil - 1 tbsp cilantro
(coriander) chopped - 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar or sugar alternative - (brown sugar or sugar alternative if diabetic)
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 1 clove garlic
peeled and minced - chili to taste (fresh bird chilis pack their punch in heat so I used a milder red Chinese chili)
Instructions
- Marinate the pork: In a food processor, add turmeric, ginger, onion, garlic, fish sauce and coconut oil. Blend well. (If you do not have a food processor you can do this in a mortar and pestle or just chop up finely instead) In a sealable baggie or tupperware add your sliced pork tenderloins pieces and add the turmeric marinade and mix well, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to overnight or at least one hour marinade time.
- Make Thai Basil Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl add chopped Thai basil (or regular basil), chopped cilantro, fish sauce, brown sugar or sugar alternative, lime juice, garlic and chili to taste. Set Aside or place in refrigerator up to 24 hours in advance.
- Soak your wooden skewers for at least 1/2 hour. Skewer the pork lengthwise like you are using the wooden skewer to sew on the pork. Spread the pork slices flat so they are not overlapping. Depending on the size of your skewer and pork slices, maybe only 2 slices of pork tenderloin per skewer.
- Prepare and oil your grill and preheat. Cook your turmeric pork skewers for about 3 minutes on each side until nicely charred and cooked through.
- Serve your delicious Turmeric Pork skewers & Thai Basil Dipping Sauce as a delicious healthy meal. Enjoy!
We cooked these with beef and chicken the other day, and they turned out wonderful! We didn’t have time to start the grill, so we baked them in the oven. Yes the baked ones are never as good as grilled, but the skewers turn out wonderful nonetheless! Thanks for this wonderful recipe 🙂
I am so delighted you liked and tried the recipe and will have to remember your trick to bake in the oven, especially on those sideways rain days.
I bought ground turmeric over but never had the chance to use it, but now I have! This colour looks so brilliant, I’m sure it’s delicious!
This is SO my kind of food!!! I adore the complex flavours of homemade curries but they are quite time consuming to make and always require special trips to Asian stores. Not this though!! I have everything I need in the fridge RIGHT NOW, except pork – I have chicken and I am thinking this will work a treat with chicken!!! YUM! Oh wait, just checked, I don’t have Thai basil either. But I am guessing it is still going to be fantastic if I sub it with coriander 🙂 PINNING and sharing!!
I loved that last picture…awe inspiring. Took my mind off those delicious flavours there for a minute.Pork and turmeric is also awe inspiring!
Oh, wow! I love everything about this dish! Not only is it gorgeous to look at, but the flavor combinations just sound extraordinary. I’ll definitely be adding this into the rotation one day this week.
Do not see fresh tumeric in our local food markets but will keep looking. What a fantastic opportunity for your son to spend 30 days in Alaska, hope you will tell us more.
These look so flavorful and delicious!! I’m also a big fan of tumeric–love the color, flavor and health benefits.
I know what you mean about turmeric. I was cooking with it last week and it’s amazing just how strong the colour is. It sounds like your son had an incredible time away. I would love to see Alaska although maybe without so much survival stuff – I’d like a hotel room! I love the look of your skewers and they have so many flavour I really love – I adore Thai basil and hope to start growing it this Spring xx