Pork Brochettes With Shredded Coconut

Ingredients

• 16 skewers (If using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes in water to cover before threading meat.)
• 1/4 cup lemongrass paste (see below)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut or packaged unsweetened dried shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, pork loin (cut into pieces 1 1/2 inches long by 1 1/4 inches wide and 1/2 thick) or fresh ham (cut into pieces 1 1/2 inches long by 1 1/4 inches wide and 1/2 thick)

Lemongrass Paste

• 1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced*
• 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, deveined*
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. 1

   Blend all the Lemon paste ingredients in a blender until smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

2. 2

   Combine the lemongrass paste in a bowl with the shredded coconut, sugar and salt, mixing well. Add the pieces of pork and stir to coat thoroughly with the paste. Let marinate for at least an hour at room temperature or as long as overnight in the refrigerator.

3. 3

   Prepare a charcoal grill according to manufacturer's instructions or preheat the broiler, positioning a rack about 4 inches from the heat. Dividing the pieces of meat evenly, thread the meat onto wooden or metal skewers. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the pork is nicely browned on the outside and just cooked through - but not dry - on the inside. Serve immediately.