I tried this recipe except without the sauce, since I like dry chickeny chicken wings without too much sauce. Unfortunately, dry is what I got — the results were dry and hard; some of the thicker pieces are edible, but none of them is what you’d call a great chicken wing. Might try again with a shorter grilling time (I went for 75 minutes) and something to baste with, or maybe a brine.

I followed this recipe. I used boneless country ribs (aka pork butt), sliced to about 1/4″. I also haven’t yet found a “meat cage” the right size (might have to make one), so just laid them on the grill. I also cannot for the life of me mince lemongrass properly; I’ll try it with lemongrass paste next time. It came out great, perfect for banh mi or just as finger food. It would also go perfectly in a vermicelli bowl.

Ingredients

2 lb boneless pork country ribs, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalked lemongrass, minced
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil

Directions

Mix together all the non-pork ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pork and mix thoroughly with hands, until the pork is completely coated. Cover and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Heat grill to medium-low. Lay pork on grill and cook with cover closed until they begin to char. Turn over and cook until done. Serve in banh mi, over vermicelli and salad, or just eat by hand with some nuoc cham for dipping.

This chicken was inspired by a good Vietnamese vermicelli bowl and is meant to be good served that way or over rice. Would work well with nuoc cham or barbecue sauce (or this one) for dipping. I tried to cut the chicken in chunks and thread them on metal skewers, but they worked slightly better on bamboo (less slipping), and threading them in strips like satay might have been better overall. I chose chicken thighs for flavor and juiciness but this could be done with breast pieces as well, probably brined to stay moist.

Ingredients

1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into skewer-sized chunks
2 stalks lemongrass
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1/4 c fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp brown sugar
sriracha or other chili sauce/paste to taste
vegetable oil
chopped scallions
sesame seeds

Directions

Remove the extra-fibrous outer layers from the lemongrass and mince in a food processor. Add and mince the cloves of garlic and shallot. Add fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and chili sauce to make a thinnish paste (adjust the fish sauce to taste and consistency) and mix well. Pour into a sealable container and toss thoroughly with chicken. Marinate overnight, mixing occasionally.

Heat grill to as hot as possible. Remove chicken pieces from marinade and thread on skewers, leaving a little space between pieces. Oil grill grate and grill uncovered until nicely charred, turning every 1-2 minutes to keep from sticking. If necessary, finish with grill closed. Total cooking time should be 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of pieces.

Serve with scallions and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork country ribs
1/2 c soy sauce
1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 small white onion, grated or sliced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp korean red pepper flakes or ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (20-ounce) bottle lemon-lime soda, optional (recommended: Sprite or 7-Up)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients other than the pork in a bowl or large plastic container. Add the pork, making sure it’s well submerged. Marinate overnight.

Heat grill to hot and grill with lid closed, about 4-5 minutes per side (country ribs are usually squarish in cross-section, so this is for 4 sides). Serve over rice with sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. Or serve in ramen or other soup.