Best for: Sweet sausage, charcoal char, raw garlic bite.
Xiang chang — the sweet, wine-kissed Taiwanese pork sausage — is night-market food at its simplest: skewered, grilled over charcoal until the casing crisps and the sugars caramelize, and eaten alternating bites with slices of raw garlic. The garlic is not a garnish; it is half the dish.
Grill: Direct medium heat over charcoal; 375°F. Equipment: Charcoal grill, skewers, tongs, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 30 minutes.
- 8 Taiwanese-style sweet pork sausages (xiang chang), about 1 1/2 lb (Asian market, fresh or frozen and thawed)
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil, for the grate
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced, for serving
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, for serving (optional)
Directions
Thread each sausage lengthwise onto a skewer — this keeps it from curling and gives you a handle, stall style. Light the charcoal and heat the grill to 375°F; oil the grate.
Grill the sausages directly over the coals for 12–15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the casings are crisp, blistered in spots, and caramelized.
Watch the last few minutes closely: the sugar in xiang chang goes from caramelized to burnt fast.
Cook until the sausages register 160°F in the center.
Rest for 5 minutes, then slice each sausage into thick coins on the skewer or off it.
Serve with the raw garlic slices and the soy sauce, if using — a bite of sausage, a slice of garlic, repeat.
Grilling tip: Prick nothing. The casing is the juice’s only container, and a pricked xiang chang grills up dry.
