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Fermentation Atlas

Meat from Thailand

Sai krok Isanไส้กรอกอีสาน

Minced pork and fat are mixed with cooked rice, garlic, salt and pepper, stuffed into pig intestine and tied into links. The links hang at room temperature for 2–3 days while lactic bacteria sour them, and they are grilled before eating. Made in 4 steps over 2 days – 3 days. The longest step, hang at room temperature to sour, takes 2–3 days (JIRCAS 1995) and runs at 30–34 °C (Sorapukdee S 2019). Lactic acid bacteria and Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus faecalis do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2–3 daysReported[jircas-saikrok][sorapukdee2019]Hang at room temperature to sour
Temperature30–34 °CReported[sorapukdee2019]Hang at room temperature to sour
AciditypH 4.4–4.9Measured[sorapukdee2019]Hang at room temperature to sour
Fully documentedMeat2 days – 3 daysMore meatMore from ThailandMore from Laos

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe control recipe of one university study, after a Thai meat-processing text; seasonings in g per kg of meat mix. Home recipes vary.
55 %Ground pork[sorapukdee2019]
30 %Ground pork back fat[sorapukdee2019]
15 %Cooked rice[sorapukdee2019]
50 g/kgGround garlic[sorapukdee2019]
15 g/kgCuring salt (0.90 % sodium nitrite, 99.1 % sodium chloride)[sorapukdee2019]
5.0 g/kgSugar[sorapukdee2019]
4.0 g/kgFine ground black pepper[sorapukdee2019]
2.5 g/kgMonosodium glutamate[sorapukdee2019]
Natural hog casing, 28–30 mm[sorapukdee2019]
Starterspontaneous

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 days – 3 days

Start
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What changes: Pork, fat, cooked rice, garlic and salt are mixed together

Step 1 of 4
Mix pork, fat, rice, garlic and seasoning
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Rind, when used, is boiled and shredded first. Output: sausage mix.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Sai krok Isan has much more fat than naem (about 30 % fat or less in the finished sausage against 8 % or less) and is stuffed into hog casing and hung, while naem is lean pork with rind packed tight in plastic or leaves.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Reduced-fat sausage with konjac gelIn one study, swapping half the back fat (15 % of the mix) for konjac gel cut fat by 46 % and was rated best for sourness and overall liking.

Safety

In one study the pH fell to about 4.4–4.9 within 3 days, but water activity stayed near 0.97–0.98, so the acid is the main hurdle. Salmonella, S. aureus and E. coli were below detection in all finished products tested. The sausage is cooked before it is eaten.

Hazards the sources name: Salmonella spp., S. aureus and E. coli (below detection in all finished products tested).

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

JIRCAS records it as made by small-scale industry. Sorapukdee and colleagues describe it as originating in northeastern Thailand and now widely eaten across the country.

  1. [sorapukdee2019] Sorapukdee S., Jansa S., Tangwatcharin P. 2019, Partial replacement of pork backfat with konjac gel in Northeastern Thai fermented sausage (Sai Krok E-san), Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 32(11):1763–1775paper
  2. [jircas-saikrok] JIRCAS, Database of Fermented Foods of Thailand: Sai-krork-prieo (after The Traditional Fermented Foods of Thailand, 1995)gov
  3. [s1] Wikipedia, Sai krok Isan (outline only)wiki