Moo Yang Recipe (Thai Grilled Pork Neck) 

Moo Yang recipe (Thai grilled pork neck) is a popular Thai dish with a tender grilled pork neck, aromatic herbs, and a zesty dipping sauce. It showcases the amazing flavors of Thai cuisine and is loved by many.

It is often sold by street food vendors and is considered one of the favorite Thai dishes. If you're looking for delicious pork recipes, try Ko Moo Yang! 

I have two cooking options for my Thai pork neck recipe. One is to cook on the grill, my favorite! Another is to bake it in the oven to enjoy Moo Yang all year round!

Be sure to serve your Moo Yang with these flavorful sauces: Nam Jim Jeow, Nam Jim Gai, Prik Nam Pla, Thai green chili sauce, or Jeow Som. Along with these sauces, make a complete Thai meal like how Thai people would serve it by pairing grilled pork neck white sticky rice or purple stick rice, Som Tam (green papaya salad, Gai yang, or Moo Ping. 

Jump to:

• Why you'll love Thai Grilled Pork Neck Recipe
• What is Moo Yang? (คอหมูย่าง) 
• Thai Words for Pork Neck
• A Note on Pork Neck Cut
• Ingredients for Moo Yang Recipe
• Pork Neck substitutes
• How to Make Moo Yang
• Garnishing Options
• What's the difference between Moo Yang and Moo Ping?
• Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips
• Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
• What to Serve With Moo Yang
• Variations
• Substitutes
• Storing your leftover pork neck
• Top Tip
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Thai Food You'll Love
• Moo Yang Recipe (Thai Grilled Pork Neck) 
• Related Thai Recipes
• Thai Food Pairing

Why you'll love Thai Grilled Pork Neck Recipe

1. Simple Yet Exquisite: Despite its complex flavors, this dish is surprisingly easy to make. Whether you're a seasoned Thai cuisine enthusiast or trying it for the first time, Moo Yang is a winner. 
2. Tantalizing Thai Flavors: Moo Yang, or Thai Grilled Pork Neck, is a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate. From the savory grilled meat to the aromatic herbs and spices, every bite is a burst of Thai delight.
3. Street Food Sensation: If you've ever strolled the bustling streets of Thailand, you'll know that Moo Yang is a street food sensation. Recreate the magic at home with this recipe for one of the most popular dishes from the streets of Thailand. 
4. It's a perfect appetizer for a dinner party, a large group of people, or a game-day party! This Thai style pork neck recipe requires minimal ingredients, and the cooking time is short. 
5. Versatile Delight: Moo Yang pairs perfectly with various sides and dipping sauces, making it a versatile dish that suits any occasion.

What is Moo Yang? (คอหมูย่าง) 

Moo Yang, often called Thai Grilled Pork Neck, is a popular Thai dish known for its exceptional taste and street food charm. It consists of succulent slices of pork neck marinated in a blend of Thai spices and seasonings, then grilled to perfection over a charcoal grill. The result is tender, smoky, and bursting with flavor.

Thai Words for Pork Neck

As usual, there are many wonky English spellings of Thai words (slightly annoying!) Moo Yang is no exception, so here you go. Depending on who's spelling it, you may find these spellings in restaurants or online: Ko mu yang คอหมูย่าง, Kor Moo Yang, Moo Yang and a few other odd ones out there. If you see these on a Thai menu, they refer to the grilled pork recipe. "Moo" in Thai means pig or pork. "Yang" means to grill.

A Note on Pork Neck Cut

A note about pork neck meat: a pork neck cut differs from a pork neck bone. I discovered this issue by calling every butcher shop and grocery store in town, asking if they have pork neck cuts. A few told me they had never heard of pork neck meat or cut, and one told me to trim the meat of the pork neck bones for my recipe.

Oh boy.

This is one of the main reasons I've put off making this recipe. Pork neck is difficult to find in U.S. grocery stores. Asian markets carry pork neck cuts sometimes, but they disappear quicker than you can say pork neck meat.

Everyone knows the goods!

This dish in Thailand is made with only pork neck cut, a tender, sweet, and fatty pig cut. Since pork neck is nearly impossible to find in America, don’t worry. I have some suggestions for alternative cuts of pork in the substitutes section below. 

Ingredients for Moo Yang Recipe

• Pork neck. The star of the show, but nearly impossible to find. Offers a delightful balance of lean meat and marbled fat. 
• Garlic. Fresh garlic cloves will be pounded into a paste to get the bold flavors to marinate the meat with.
• Oyster sauce. The secret umami flavors bring this recipe to a new level of deliciousness! 
• Fish sauce. Fish sauce adds a delightful Thai flavor to the Koo Moo Yang recipe.  
• Brown sugar. Palm sugar is always the traditional sugar for Thai cooking. However, palm sugar is not always easily accessible. Brown sugar or even white sugar often works as a substitute. 
• Ground white pepper. Black pepper is okay as a substitute, but do your best to find ground white pepper, which serves distinctively unique Thai flavors to the Koo Moo Yang recipe.

Pork Neck substitutes

• Pork collar. It's another name for pork neck. It's a pork cut from the jowl or the cheek area. So if you can't find a pork neck, look for a pork collar, and you'll be in luck, as pork neck cut is difficult to find in the U.S. 
• Pork jowl. It is similar to bacon and slightly less fatty than pork belly and is full of flavors from the high-fat content. It's great for grilling and broiling. 
• Pork shoulder. A tender cut with lean meat and fatty parts making the perfect substitute for pork neck.
• Pork butt. Equally to pork shoulder in terms of fat and meaty cut. A great and tasty substitute for the Moo Yang recipe
• Pork loins. For a leaner and healthier option, pork loin is a great substitute. Give pork loins extra time to marinate to allow the meat to tenderize with the sauces before grilling.

How to Make Moo Yang

Follow these simple steps to create your own Moo Yang masterpiece.

Moo Yang on the Grill

Step 1: Crush the garlic. Pound the garlic into a smooth paste using a small mortar and pestle.

Step 2: Make the marinate. Combine the marinade ingredients with the pestle or a small bowl using fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.

Step 3: Marinate the pork. Coat the pork neck slices generously with the marinade, allowing them to soak up the flavors. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Step 4: Prepare the grill. Heat your grill to medium heat. If you have a charcoal grill, use it for your meat's smoky, charred flavors. Place the marinated meat on the grill and use a grilling brush to scoop out all the marinating sauce onto the pieces of pork.

Don't waste the goodies!

Step 5: Grill your pork neck. Grill each side until it's beautifully charred and cooked to perfection. 5-7 minutes per side (depending on your grill). Use a meat thermometer to make sure the pork is thoroughly cooked. 

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy. Remove the grilled pork meat and cool for 10 minutes before serving. Slice the grilled pork neck into small pieces and serve with sticky rice and fresh vegetables.

Don't forget to dip your pork slices in Nam Jim Jaew dipping sauce for that extra kick!

Oven-Baked Moo Yang

All the steps above are the same, except you'll place your marinated pork neck on a foil-lined baking sheet. Once the oven is preheated, bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes per side until the meat is completely cooked.

Allow the pork to cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Make my Nam Jim Jeow recipe to go with the meat.

Garnishing Options

Serve Kor Moo Yang with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, or long green beans. Make a simple spicy sauce with fish sauce, chili flakes, and lime juice if you are short on time. 

Enhance your Moo Yang experience with garnishing options like cilantro, Thai chili, and toasted rice powder. These elements add depth and texture to the dish.

What's the difference between Moo Yang and Moo Ping?

Both dishes involve grilled pork, but Moo Yang typically uses pork neck with minimal ingredients, and hardly any herbs are used. Moo Ping, on the other hand, is marinated in sauces, garlic, and coriander roots for extra depth of flavor. Moo ping is typically cooked using bamboo skewers.

Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips

• Before grilling the pork, allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling to achieve even more tender meat. 
• Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into the meat to allow the meat juices to evenly distribution in meat. It makes for extra tender meat!
• For extra flavor, marinate the pork overnight in the refrigerator.
• Keep a close eye on the grill, as pork neck can cook quickly over high heat.
• A meat thermometer ensures the pork is cooked to the right temperature.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe

• Grilling brush
• A reliable meat thermometer for precise cooking
• Stone mortar and pestle

What to Serve With Moo Yang

Moo Yang pairs wonderfully with sides like Thai sticky rice, jasmine rice, or even som tum Thai (green papaya salad). Street vendors in Thailand typically serve Ko Moo Yang with a bag of warm sticky rice, a simply spicy dip made of chili flakes and fish sauce, and a side of sliced cucumbers or long beans as a set. The combination of textures and flavors makes for a complete and satisfying meal. 

Variations

Experiment with different cuts of pork, such as pork shoulder or collar, to discover unique variations of Moo Yang. You can also adjust the level of spiciness to suit your preferences.

Substitutes

• Palm or white sugar makes an excellent substitute if you don't have brown sugar.

• Add dark soy sauce for a deeper, smoky flavor to the pork for added flavor and color. 

• Soy sauce is an acceptable substitute for fish sauce. 

Storing your leftover pork neck

Leftover Moo Yang can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat it on the grill or oven to maintain its delicious smoky flavor.

Top Tip

Enjoy your Moo Yang with a cold beer, just like the locals in Thailand, for an authentic touch.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Thai Food You'll Love

• Thai fried egg salad
• Moo Ping, Thai pork skewers
• Thai basil fried rice
• Thai kabocha squash dessert with coconut milk 
• Thai green curry with chicken 
• Pad Prik Khing with coconut cream
• Nam Prik Pao is a delicate Thai sauce with dried shrimp, palm sugar, and shrimp paste. 

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Thai Food Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Moo Yang.