The mookata tradition
BBQ World Tour #5 – In 2020, Kokko becomes a globe-trotter and offers you a “BBQ World Tour” to discover the history of grilling, smoking, roasting through different gastronomies. For this fifth escapade, we set course for Thailand. Put on your gloves, heat the coal and install the grills: let’s go!
What does Mookata mean?
The word Mookata comes from the juxtaposition of the Thai words “mu” which means “pig”, and “kata” or “kratha” which can be translated as pan. So Mookata literally means “pork in the pan”. Like the word “barbecue”, it refers to a cooking method that is popular in Southeast Asia and particularly in Thailand, which, unlike the Korean gas barbecue, is done on charcoal.
The Mookata, an original barbecue
When we talk about barbecue, we imagine, as in the tradition of the American BBQ, the Argentine Asado or the Portuguese Churrasco, a grill skillfully placed over the fire, in a small or large brazier, to brown meat, fish and vegetables. But in the tradition of Thai barbecue, none of this. The “appliance”, “the barbecue”, is a kind of large aluminum pan placed above a clay pot that contains the embers.
The upper part is made up of two separate pieces, looking more or less like a huge juicer. The dome-shaped central part is used for cooking meat and fish, while the rest of the dish is used to prepare a broth. The Thai barbecue is a mixture between the Korean barbecue and the Chinese Hot Pot, which is a simmering soup in which food is cooked by dipping it in, like in a fondue.
The cooking method of Mookata
As in the tradition of Yakiniku, Japanese style barbecue, Mookata is cooked at the table. Indeed, once the pan is placed in the center of the table, on hot embers, you fill the gutter with water and ingredients of your choice to make broth. Before cooking the meat on the upper part, a piece of bacon is placed on top of the dome.
As it melts, it will grease the wall and prevent the cooked food from sticking and give taste to the broth. Each guest is then invited to place his pieces of meat, fish or vegetables to grill. The more the pieces follow one another, the more the cooking juices flow into the broth to flavor it, hum!
What is eaten on the Thai barbecue?
Thinly sliced pork, especially bacon, is the flagship food of Mookata. Chicken, lamb, but also shrimps, squid, vegetables, mushrooms, etc. are also available. In the broth, one generally dips vegetables and of course, the unavoidable noodles to which one can add seafood, meat or fish dumplings…
All these dishes are served with sauces, “nam chim”, more or less spicy, such as the Su-Ki sauce. To treat yourself, discover our recipe of smoked bacon with Kokko.
The Mookata, a popular tradition in Thailand
In the land of smiles, the Mookata is a true institution. If restaurants offer it, the tradition is to gather with family or friends in huge rooms or open-air places to taste it. A buffet, most often at will, is then proposed. Everyone chooses their food to be grilled from the countless varieties of meat, fish and vegetables before gathering around large tables.
At Mookata or Kokko, to make your barbecue a success, make sure you choose the right charcoal!
Follow their page for more useful information about mookata singapore.
