Grilled Pork Shoulder Steaks With Green Pepper Relish

Cookbook author Leela Punyaratabandhu describes this central Thai-style grilled pork as “simple but sublime.” There’s not much to it, and yet it’s packed with flavor, thanks to the holy trinity of Thai aromatic paste (garlic, cilantro roots, and white peppercorns) at the heart of this dish. If you can find it, cilantro sold with its hairy white roots still attached will add tons of herbaceous flavor to the super savory marinade. If you have access to a Korean market, you can usually find beautifully marbled pork shoulder steaks already cut into the ideal thickness, which makes this dish even simpler to prepare. The lime- and fish sauce-spiked pepper relish is a milder and streamlined take on nam phrik num, a spicy Northern Thai staple meant to showcase green peppers and chiles. Warm Khao Niao (Thai sticky rice) on the side is a must. Serve this alongside the rest of Leela’s summer menu with Cantaloupe with Spicy Bacon-Cashew Crumble, Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad, Grilled Scallops with Peach Sweet Chili Sauce, and Lime-Lemongrass Slushies.