Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken – juicy chicken bites glazed in a Vietnamese caramel sauce with a good dose of ginger. 5 ingredients. 12 minute braise. Serve over jasmine rice with Asian Slaw for a dinner everybody will gobble up!

Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken

When you see today’s recipe, you’re going to doubt me. How can a recipe with so few ingredients that’s so fast to make be as good as I promise??

Answer: Because the Vietnamese have been making this for centuries!

The caramelisation cooking method used in today’s recipe is a traditional Vietnamese technique. Proteins such as chicken, pork, egg and sometimes vegetables are braised in a simple mixture of sugar and water (or coconut juice), seasoned with fish sauce and flavoured with aromatics such as ginger, garlic and chilli.

At first the mixture looks thoroughly unimpressive – watery and foamy. Like this:

But just give it a mere 12 minutes, and this is what it looks like:

I know, right?? Incredible. We should know better than to doubt the Vietnamese!

And here’s a nice close up for you, including the inside – proof of juiciness:

Vietnamese caramel this-and-that

Vietnamese caramel sauce is not new to these parts! Long time astute readers may recognise this as similar to a sticky Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken that I shared many years ago. That is made with whole bone-in chicken thighs and takes around an hour to make. Also, other members of the Vietnamese Caramel Family – fan favourite Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls (quick) and slow-cooked Vietnamese Caramel Pork (juicy bites!)

Today’s recipe might be my favourite, for it’s speed and the lovely pops of ginger flavour.

Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Vietnamese Caramel Pork

Caramelised Vietnamese Shredded Beef

What you need for Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken

Here’s all you need to make today’s miracle dish:

• Boneless chicken thighs – Thighs work best because they will stay juicier for the required simmer time for the sauce to reduce down into a glaze. But if you want to make this with chicken breast, I’ve popped directions in the recipe notes – best to take it out of the pan partway so it doesn’t overcook.

• Brown sugar – This is what makes the caramel glaze! Brown rather than white sugar, for extra caramely flavour.

• Fish sauce – The “secret ingredient” that gives the sauce more depth of flavour than just using salt or soy sauce. You can substitute with soy sauce, but the glaze won’t have quite the same flavour.

• Ginger – We use quite a lot, for lovely gingery flavour! 1/3 cup finely julienned.

  Garlic could be substituted.

• Chilli (optional) – For a faint background hum of warmth. I use Birds Eye but Thai chilli or other chilli of choice would be fine. This dish is not spicy by any means, the spiciness of a single chilli is reduced through the cooking process and overpowered by the sweetness.

• Eschalots (optional) –Also known as French onions, and called “shallots” in the US. They look like baby onions, but are finer and sweeter than regular onions so they disappear into the glaze better.

  Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions. Substitute with finely sliced red or regular onions, or skip it. It’s not so common in traditional Vietnamese caramel dishes but it does add extra flavour (I tried with and without).

How to make Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken

Very easy, low maintenance and quick! No marinating required, and just a 12 minute braise.

1. Toss the chicken in the fish sauce and chilli (if using). Then just set aside while you prepare and measure out the other ingredients. Marinating isn’t required – plenty of flavour infusion into the chicken happens during the braise. But you could leave it overnight, if you wanted to.

   Use a large non-stick pan else the liquid will take ages to reduce. Mine is 30cm/12″. If yours is smaller or the liquid is taking way too long to reduce down into a glaze, remove chicken with slotted spoon and reduce the liquid by itself (it will be fast).

2. Caramel – Put the oil and sugar in a pan over medium heat and stir.

3. Melt – As the pan heats up, the sugar will melt and form a caramel. As soon as it has melted, take the pan off the stove before adding the chicken. ⚠️ This is a precaution step – because the caramel does sizzle a bit when you add the chicken. If your stove runs very hot or you’re a little…..err…. overly enthusiastic when tossing the chicken in, I’d hate for caramel bits to splash on you. By taking it off the stove, we don’t need to worry.

4. Chicken -Slide the chicken in carefully (don’t throw it in!), eschalots and ginger. Toss briefly to coat, then return to the stove. The caramel may harden but that’s ok, it will re-melt on the stove.

5. Cook – Stir the chicken until it changes from pink to white but the inside will still be raw. Add water then let it come up to the simmer.

6. Braise 10 to 12 minutes – Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the sauce reduces down into a brown glaze that coats the chicken. This is what it looks like at the start – not very appetising! It’s very low maintenance – just stir every couple of minutes.

7. Midway – Here it is halfway through. You can see the chicken is starting to be stained by the sauce colour. What you can’t see is all the lovely flavour being absorbed by the chicken!

8. Glaze! Then after 10 to 12 minutes, this is what it looks like. The liquid will have reduced right down and transformed into brown stick glaze that coats the chicken. At this stage, you will want to stir quite regularly to ensure the sauce doesn’t catch and burn on the base of the pot. Just reduce the heat it you’re concerned.

   And that’s it! It’s ready to eat!

What to serve with Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken

Serve over jasmine rice or other plain rice of choice (or cauliflower rice if you’re going the low-carb thing). It’s not a sauce stir fry but you definitely won’t miss the sauce because the glaze is more intense flavoured than a typical saucy stir fry. So you can eat it with plain rice because every rice grain the chicken touches will be graced with the tasty Vietnamese caramel sauce!

For a lovely fresh side salad, I’d suggest a crunchy fresh Asian Slaw. Else, my ever-trusty Smashed Cucumbers (perfect juicy freshness to contrast with this sticky goodness) or Asian Sesame Dressing which you can use for “anything” – leafy greens, steamed broccoli or carrots.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken

Recipe video above. Vietnamese caramel sauce is a popular sweet/savoury used in Vietnamese dishes. Here, it's used for bite size chicken pieces that get coated in the glaze with a generous dose of ginger. It's quick, easy, something different and outrageously good!

** NOTE: Sadly seeing reader feedback that the liquid isn't reducing and chicken isn't caramelising. Please ensure to use a LARGE PAN and be brave, simmer RAPIDLY! Else the liquid will take ages to reduce. See Note 4.**

Course Main

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword easy vietnamese recipe, ginger chicken, vietnamese caramel chicken, vietnamese chicken

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 370cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 kg / 2 lb skinless chicken thigh fillets , cut into large 5cm/2″ pieces (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 bird’s eye chilli or Thai chilli , deseeded, finely minced (optional) – Note 2
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar , tightly packed
• 1/3 cup ginger , finely julienned (about 5 cm/2″ thick piece)
• 2 eschallots , halved then finely sliced (sub half red onion) (Note 3)
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Garnishes & serving:

• Fresh coriander/cilantro or green onion slices (recommended)
• Red chilli , finely sliced (optional)
• Jasmine rice , white rice or other plain rice of choice

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Toss chicken with fish sauce and chilli, then set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. You could marinate even overnight but it's not necessary.
• Pan size – Use a large non-stick pan (mine is 30cm/12", must be large). Else, be prepared to remove chicken at end to speed up sauce reduction. See Note 4!
• Caramel – Mix oil and sugar in the cold pan, then turn onto medium high heat. As soon as the sugar is melted, remove the pan from the stove then carefully add the chicken (⚠️ it will sizzle so don't throw it in!) . Add ginger and shallots, toss briefly. The caramel may harden, that's ok, it will re-melt.
• Cook outside of chicken – Then put the pan back on the stove and stir just until the chicken changes from pink to white all over, but not browned, and definitely not cooked through.
• Simmer 10 min – Add water, stir, bring to a simmer. Simmer very rapidly, still on medium high (or even high!), for 10 to 12 minutes, until the liquid reduces right down to a glaze. It might take longer if your pan is smaller or your stove is weaker, that's ok. Stir every now and then while watery, then once it's reduced down to a glaze, toss regularly to get nice colour on the chicken. The further you take it, the better the colour!
• Serve with jasmine rice or other plain rice garnished with extra slices of chilli and fresh coriander if desired. Smashed cucumbers or Asian Slaw would be a terrific side!

Notes

Recipe adapted from Eat Like a Viet cookbook by Jenny Lam, after eating this at PhatLon, her Vietnamese restaurant in Perth.

---

1. Chicken – I cut most into 4, some into 3. You want them quite large so they don’t dry out during the required simmer time.

Breast – not recommended, it will dry out by the time the sauce reduces. However, if you want to use breast, I’d probably use the whole breast (2), split in half (to make 4 thin steaks), start the cook in the caramel, take them out, let the sauce reduce to a glaze then coat. Bit risky to get timing right without overcooking.

2. Chilli – optional, adds the tiniest background hint of heat (longer you cook fresh chilli, less spicy it is, also the sweet dominates here).

3. Eschalots –Also known as French onions, and called “shallots” in the US. Look like baby onions, but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter, so they disappear into the glaze better than regular onions. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions.

Sub with finely sliced red or regular onions.

4. PAN / sauce reduction / caramelisation – You need a large pan (30cm/12″+) so the chicken isn’t crowded else the liquid takes AGES to reduce. Also, be brave and simmer super rapidly so the liquid reduces faster, and once it’s reduced down to a sticky glaze, stir the chicken in the oil left in the pan to get the nice caramelisation on it.

If you’re pan is too small, remove chicken after 12 minutes using slotted spoon and reduce liquid down to glaze (fast, without chicken). then toss chicken back in.

5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Freezing – haven’t tried but I see no reason why it wouldn’t freeze perfectly well!

Nutrition per serving, chicken only (no rice).

Nutrition

Calories: 370cal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 1032mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer’s way of sulking about being on a strict gastro-intestinal dog food diet for the next 7 days – spitting his food out on the ground. Seriously. What a brat! (Mind you, his natural greediness means he ends up hoovering the floor clean. But still. The attitude!)

The post Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

As promised on Wednesday – Vietnamese pork noodle bowls! This popular salad-type dish is called bun thit nuong – vermicelli noodles topped with fresh and pickled vegetables, herbs and Vietnamese lemongrass pork, doused generously with nuoc cham sauce. Fresh yet full of flavour.

Vietnamese pork noodle bowls

I find it funny that pho is the dish that’s become the superstar of Vietnamese food when bun thit nuong is tastier to me! I adore the contrast of fresh vegetables and herbs with delicious grilled meats, that it’s light and healthy yet anything but dull.

It’s a big bowl of delicious, and I shared the chicken version many years ago (bun ga nuong). And as soon as I cracked the pork version, I shared in immediately (just last Wednesday!). And I’m back today with the noodle bowls recipe that is made using the lemongrass pork – just like you get on the streets of Vietnam!

PS The photo below is in my own home. Not the streets of Vietnam!

What you need for Vietnamese pork noodle bowls

There’s variations of bun thit nuong all across Vietnam. But they all have noodles, marinated pork, raw vegetables and sauce.

Lemongrass marinated pork

See separate recipe posted earlier this week. Thin slices of pork shoulder are marinated with lemongrass, garlic, lime, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar which infuses the flesh with a stack of flavour. Meanwhile, a smidge of baking soda is the secret that tenderises economical pork shoulder, which is usually slow cooked, and keeps the thin pork steaks incredibly tender even when cooked over high heat for a lovely char!

The noodles, vegetables & topping

So here’s what I use – typical of Vietnamese restaurants and takeaway places here in Sydney:

• Vermicelli rice noodles – the thin rice noodles prepared by soaking in boiling water. Substitute with other white noodles or bean thread noodles / glass noodles (

• Pickled carrot and daikon – quick and easy! See below for more.

• Nuoc cham sauce – the chilli-garlic-savoury-limey-sauce served with “everything” in Vietnam (and that’s no exaggeration!). See below.

• Lettuce – Either soft butter lettuce torn into bite size pieces or crisp lettuce, like iceberg or cos/romaine, shredded

• Cucumber and bean sprouts

• Herbs – mint and coriander/cilantro. Thai Basil is also lovely!

• Peanuts – finely chopped, for sprinkling

• Fresh chilli slices – optional

• Lime wedges – for optional extra freshness

Vietnamese pickled vegetables

The pickled vegetables (pictured above) are the same as the recipe in the Banh Mi recipe. It’s simple to make – mix then soak for 2 hours. It’s the perfect texture-flavour addition to these bowls – the vegetables still have a great crunch to them but are floppy (nobody wants pokey raw carrot batons sticking out in their noodle bowls!) with a sweet, tangy flavour.

So much more interesting than raw carrots!

Here’s what you need. Just mix, then pickled the vegetables for 2 hours or even overnight.

Nuoc cham sauce for Vietnamese pork noodle bowls

The sauce used for Vietnamese pork noodle bowls is Nuoc Cham. As mentioned above, this is the sauce that’s served with “everything” in Vietnam though there’s variations depending on what it’s used for. Sometimes it’s sweeter, some fishier (when used sparingly for dipping), some milder (when used in an almost soup-like form – like with Vietnamese Meatballs bun cha).

Today’s version is fairly mild, not too fishy, because it’s supposed to be used to douse everything generously. Nobody wants to get to the rice noodles at the bottom of the bowl only to find it’s tasteless!

Here’s what you need to make nuoc cham sauce. Just mix together!

Assembling the pork noodle bowls

Noodles first. Then just pile everything on top! There are no rules, just jam it all in. Abundance is the word that comes to mind with these bowls!

Finish with a good sprinkle of peanuts and fresh chilli if you dare (live life on the edge, I say!). And serve with jugs or bowls of the nuoc cham sauce on the side and douse generously. Remember, this is a mild flavoured nuoc cham, not a fishy one. So you need lots. You’re supposed to use lots!

Getting stuck in

As for the eating part, there really are no rules. Some people (like me) will pick out some of the pork bits first because it’s their favourite part of the bowl. Then mix it up and get stuck in. It will end up looking like a jumbled up mess. A delicious one, at that! And don’t be afraid to keep adding more sauce on an as-need basis, as you continue through your bowls.

DIY spread – great for gatherings!

One last tip! This dish is a great one for gatherings. In fact, the chicken version was for many years my signature for summer BBQ’s. Lay out all the toppings and noodles on a table. Cook the chicken on the BBQ then let everybody put their own bowls together.

One of my favourite formats for entertaining – DIY.

Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Vietnamese pork noodle bowls (bun thit nuong)

Recipe video above. Popular Vietnamese street food! Fabulous combination of contrasting flavours and textures, fresh vegetables with flavourful lemongrass marinated pork, noodles and herbs, all doused in a mild nuoc cham sauce (so you can use lots).

Light and fresh yet anything but dull. Excellent DIY spread for gatherings – lay it all out on tables and let everyone put their own bowls together. Chicken version here. Slightly different toppings because chicken is a white meat, pork is richer.

Course Main

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword vietnamese noodle bowl, vietnamese noodle salad, vietnamese noodles, vietnamese pork dish

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Pork marinating 1 day day

Servings 4

Calories 622cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 batch lemongrass marinated pork (it’s marinated overnight. 8 pieces, serves 4)
• 200g/ 7oz dried vermicelli noodles (Note 1)
• 1 head soft lettuce (like butter lettuce), torn into large bite size pieces (or 4 cups shredded iceberg, cos/romaine)
• 2 cucumbers , halved lengthwise then sliced on the diagonal 3mm / 0.15" thick
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• Handful mint leaves
• Handful cilantro/coriander
• 1/4 cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts
• Sliced red chilli (for garnish – optional)
• Lime wedges (to serve – optional but recommended)

Vietnamese pickled vegetables (Note 2)

• 2 medium carrots , peeled cut into 2-3mm / 1/10″ batons
• 1/2 large white radish (daikon) , peeled, cut the same as carrots
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
• 3/4 cup rice vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)

Nuoc cham Vietnamese sauce (Note 3):

• 4 1/2 tbsp white sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 3)
• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 birds eye chilli or Thai chilli , deseeded and finely chopped (Note 4)
• 5 cloves garlic , finely chopped

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Make pickled vegetables:

• Pickle – In a large bowl, dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot water. Stir in vinegar. Add carrots and daikon – they should just about be covered.
• 2 hours – Leave for 2 hours until slightly floppy. Drain well then use per recipe.

Pork bowls:

• Nuoc cham sauce – Mix ingredients together. Until sugar is dissolved.
• Vermicelli noodles – Soak in boiling water for 5 minutes (or per packet directions). Drain, rinse under tap water, then cool and drain thoroughly (nobody likes watery noodles!).
• Toppings – Prepare all the other toppings, ready to use.
• Cook pork per the recipe.
• Assemble bowls – Place noodles in a bowl. Top with lettuce, pickled vegetables, cucumber and bean sprouts. Slice pork, place 2 steaks on each bowl. Top with herbs, sprinkle with peanuts and sliced chilli. Add a lime wedge.
• Serve with nuoc cham on the side so everybody can help themselves. Douse generously! Dive in and eat!

Notes

1. Noodles – or glass noodles/bean thread, or other dried rice noodles, preferably thin.

2. Pickled veg – really recommend using this, it’s a quick to prepare 2 hour pickle and you’re rewarded with crunchy-but-floppy tangy veg that’s so much more interesting than plain raw vegetables! Same as the pickled veg used in Banh Mi (chicken and classic pork). Having said that, if you’re in a rush, just use raw but really finely julienne them.

3. Nuoc Cham – This sauce is not as strong / fishy as others you may have tried. It’s intended to be used almost like a soup broth. Adapt this to your taste by adjusting the quantities. You may not use all this sauce – but I don’t want you to run out!

4. Chilli – Birds eye chillies are small red chillies that are quite spicy. To make it less spicy, use large red chillies instead (which are not as hot) or skip it.

5. Nutrition per bowl assuming all the sauce is consumed which it probably won’t be. I’ve also had to make sensible assumptions about the pickles and how much of the sugar, salt etc ends up absorbed in the vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 622cal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 2362mg | Potassium: 809mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 5535IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

The most dangerous photo shoots are the ones that take place on the ground – so I can get up real high above it to fit everything in the frame.

The post Vietnamese lemongrass pork noodle bowls (bun thit nuong) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is such a wonderful recipe to use economical pork shoulder in an exciting new way! A Vietnamese lemongrass marinade infuses with beautiful flavour while a smidge of baking soda is the secret to tenderising so the pork steaks are tender like premium chops. Vietnamese street-food!

Vietnamese lemongrass pork

I’ve been wanting to recreate the chargrilled lemongrass marinated pork you find “everywhere” on the streets of Vietnam for years – but it always came out dry. Finally figured out the secret to keeping it juicy, so I had to share the recipe immediately! 😂

Across Vietnam, variations of this lemongrass pork are served in various forms. On rice, soups, in rice paper rolls, even in Banh Mi. While all are delicious, my favourite are the popular Vietnamese noodle bowl salads, bun thit nuong. Thin rice noodles, topped with this pork, pickled vegetables, lettuce, a smattering of peanuts, lime and served with nuoc cham, that sauce served with “everything” in Vietnam.

I’ve shared the pork noodle bowl as a separate recipe as I wanted to publish the marinated pork separately because I think it’s worthy of your attention!

Here’s a photo of the pork rice noodle bowls. I actually took this photo in Vietnam – it’s a dish I bought from a street vendor in Saigon and took back to my hotel to take a photo:

Oh look! And said vendor in Saigon. They cooked the pork on skewers over charcoal. I’m doing a home version – steaks on a stove. So you can make this any night of the week – rain, hail or shine!

Why you need this Vietnamese pork in your life!

• Excellent value – It’s made using economical pork shoulder that is tenderised so it’s juicy like premium pork chops!

• Flavour plus value – The meat is sliced and pounded thinly for maximum flavour penetration and so less meat goes further.

• Something different but yet so easy, with ingredients you can get from the local shops.

• Versatile – Serve at your next BBQ with coconut rice and Asian slaw. Or wait until Friday to make Vietnamese noodle bowls!

• Deliciousness factor is extremely high for relatively small effort

And because I know someone will ask – yes you can make this with chicken, here it is!

What you need

Here’s what you need to make this.

• Pork shoulder – Generally, this economical, tough cut of pork is slow cooked until it becomes fall-apart tender. Today, we’re using it in a really different way. Sliced thinly, then marinated with baking soda which tenderises it so when it’s cooked hard-and-fast like steak, it is tender like a pricey pork chop. (Links again for glowing reader reviews who have discovered the wonder of this technique with chicken and beef!).

• Baking soda – also known as bi-carb / bi-carbonate. As noted in the point above, this is what tenderises the tough pork shoulder meat.

• Lemongrass – For unmistakable, irreplaceable beautiful Vietnamese flavour!

• Limes – For tang. A Vietnamese food favourite.

• Sugar – For sweet and caramelisation.

• Soy sauce and fish sauce – The saltiness. I like to use both to get the right flavour balance. Only fish sauce = too fishy. Only soy sauce = lacks complexity of flavour.

• Garlic – Lots!

• Oil – To increase the volume of the marinade so there is the right flavour infusion for the volume of meat we’re using. (Initially I just had more of all the other ingredients but the pork was too salty).

How to make Vietnamese lemongrass marinated pork

The key to this recipe is to slice and pound the pork as thinly as you can. This serves a few purposes:

• head start tenderising the flesh

• opens up the fibres to allow the marinade to penetrate thoroughly

• increases surface area and flattens the pork to improve surface area char – for optimum real chargrilled street-food flavour!

• allows us to make this with economical pork shoulder rather than pricey pork tenderloin or chops.

1. Slice the pork shoulder into eight thinnish pieces – gives us a head start on the pounding. I find it easiest to do this by cutting the pork on 45 degree angle but if you have the right shaped piece, you could just cut straight down.

   PRO TIP: To get even(ish) pieces without pulling out the scales, cut the pork shoulder in half, then each half in half again, then each in half again. Voila – 8 pieces!

2. Pound to 5mm / 0.2″ thickness thick using a meat mallet (the jagged side) or rolling pin. Cover with go-between or freezer bags to prevent damaging the meat. (Go-between is a purpose made plastic sheet, sold alongside cling wrap. Also useful for stacking foods in the freezer without sticking together).

3. Post pounding thin pork!

4. Marinade – Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

5. Coat pork Add the pork and use tongs to coat well.

6. Marinate 24 hours – Transfer to a ziplock bag and marinate for 24 hours.

   Why mix separately first? To ensure really good, even distribution of the small amount of bi-carb across quite a lot of surface area. I wouldn’t ask you to dirty a bowl unnecessarily

   Why a ziplock bag? Because it keeps the meat completely coated in a relatively small amount of marinade. If you prefer a container, use a small one so the meat is as snugly fitted as possible and toss the pork once or twice during the marinading time.

7. High heat cooking – Cook for 1 1/2 minutes in a hot cast iron skillet OR on your BBQ over high heat. Then cook the other side for 1 minute. Super quick to cook because it’s so thin!

8. Aim for a nice char – The pork will char quickly because of the sugar in the marinade and that’s what we want, that authentic chargrilled flavour.

   STILL TENDER! Technically, with 2 1/2 minutes of high heat blasting, the thin pork should be overcooked and dry inside, not to mention the tough pork shoulder hasn’t been slow cooked as it should so it should be horridly tough. Nope! The inside is still juicy, and it’s more tender than you ever imagined pork shoulder could be, thanks to the baking soda (read more on this above in the ingredients section).

NOTE: Meat tenderised using the baking soda method will be pink inside even when it’s cooked to well done! It’s just what happens. It happens with beef too.

As mentioned above, I’ll share the Vietnamese Pork Noodle Bowls recipe on Friday (UPDATE: here it is!). But think beyond the noodle bowl! Serve it with a side of coconut rice, Vietnamese red fried rice or plain jasmine rice with a side salad. Try one of these:

• Vietnamese Chicken salad – minus the chicken

• Asian Slaw

• Chang’s Crispy Noodle Cabbage Salad

• Asian Side Salad

• Steamed vegetables or any leafy greens drizzled with Asian Sesame Dressing

And just before I sign off, one more look at the pork noodle bowl:

It’s so good! ADORE the contrasting textures of the fresh vegetables and herbs with the flavourful marinated lemongrass pork all doused in nuoc cham, the Vietnamese chilli-garlic sauce served with “everything”.

What do you think?? Have I convinced you to give this Vietnamese pork a go? I hope so!!! If anything, it’s worth experiencing the magic of the marinade and how tender it makes pork shoulder steaks. Try it!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork steaks (tenderised!)

Recipe video above. Pork infused with a Vietnamese lemongrass marinade, then cooked over high heat for an authentic char-grill like you get at Vietnamese street stalls! Economical pork shoulder is a tough cut of meat that's tenderised using a touch of baking soda. Even if you overcook these pork steaks, they are still tender inside!

Use to make the popular Vietnamese rice noodle salad, Bún thịt nướng, or serve with coconut or jasmine rice and Asian slaw for a lovely dinner.

Course Main

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword vietnamese pork chops, vietnamese pork marinade

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 360cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 500g/1 lb pork shoulder , skinless and boneless, or pork scotch (roast or steaks) (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp canola oil

Marinade:

• 2 lemongrass stalks , white part only, bruised, cut into 1 cm / 0.4″ slices on angle (Note 2)
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, NOT dark soy, Note 3)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar (tightly packed tablespoons)
• 3 tbsp oil (canola, vegetable, peanut)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda/bi-carb , for tenderising (Note 4)

Instructions

• Cut pork – Cut into 8 equal, thinnish slices of pork. I find it easiest using the knife on a 45° angle, but if you have the right shape piece you can just cut straight down.
• Pound each steak to 5mm / 0.2" thickness using the scary side of a meat mallet (jagged, not flat), using go-between (Note 5) or a freezer bag to avoid damaging the meat. (You can use baking paper for rolling pin or the flat side of the mallet.)
• Marinade – Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl, it will fizz when the baking soda is added! Add pork then toss well to coat using tongs. Transfer to a ziplock bag and marinate for 24 hours.
• Remove pork from the marinade and brush off the lemongrass pieces. Discard marinade – it's done its job!
• Cook – Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until you see wisps of smoke. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oil, then cook half the pork for 1 1/2 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other side until nicely charred. Remove onto a plate. Scrape pan clean of loose black bits then cook the remaining pork.
• Serve! Make Pork Noodle Bowls (bun thit nuong) or serve with rice and a side salad – see note 6 and in post for suggestions!
• NOTE – The thin pork steaks are beyond well done in 2 1/2 minutes but it doesn't matter because the baking soda keeps them tender. It will be blushing pink inside due to the baking soda (same happens with beef). You could cook them for another 5 minutes and they will still be tender inside. Miracle!

Notes

1. Pork cut – This recipe is designed for pork shoulder which is a fatty, tough cut of pork that’s usually slow cooked to make it tender. Here, by pounding and using baking soda, it’s tenderised so it’s like premium pork chops once cooked. It’s literally impossible to overcook the inside so it’s tough – you’ll see!

Recipe also works great with pork scotch roast or steaks. A little more expensive cut of meat but widely available in Australia. Doesn’t work as well for lean, more expensive cuts of meat like loin and tenderloin.

2. Lemongrass prep – cut the reedy end off, we’re only using the white and pale green part. Bash with meat mallet so it bursts open slightly to release flavour but mostly holds together. Slice on an angle into large 1cm/0.4″ thick slices so they are easy to brush off the pork before cooking (else they burn).

Fresh really is best here but if you can’t get it, use 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste instead.

3. Soy sauce – Don’t use dark soy sauce, the flavour is far too intense and will overwhelm. Any all-purpose soy is fine, or light soy sauce.

4. Baking soda, also known as bi-carb, is used to tenderise the pork shoulder meat which is is a tough cut usually used for slow cooking. Same method used for chicken and beef for stir fries – and readers love it!

5. Go-between is a purpose made roll of plastic that’s sold alongside cling wrap, used for pounding meat. Thicker than freezer bags and cling wrap, and not sticky. It protects the meat from becoming damaged.

6. Serving suggestions – Noodle bowls pictured in post (bun thit nuong), recipe here! Or make dinner plates with a side of coconut rice, Vietnamese red fried rice or plain jasmine rice with a side salad:

• Vietnamese Chicken salad – minus the chicken
• Asian Slaw
• Chang’s Crispy Noodle Cabbage Salad
• Asian Side Salad
• Steamed vegetables or any leafy greens drizzled with Asian Sesame Dressing

Nutrition per serving, 2 pieces per person.

Nutrition

Calories: 360cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1578mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

I adore Vietnamese food!

See?

Bun Cha (Vietnamese Meatballs!)

Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Vietnamese Caramel Pork

Vietnamese Pho recipe

Vietnamese Chicken Pho soup (Pho Ga)

Vietnamese

Life of Dozer

When Dozer was in the paper over the Easter break. Specifically, the Good Weekend Magazine!

If you wish to continue to believe I’m an innocent angel, please do not read the article.

The post Vietnamese lemongrass pork steaks appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Chicken Banh Mi is the much-loved chicken variety of the classic Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich. It has all the familiar flavours of Banh Mi – pate, mayo, fresh herbs and pickled vegetables – but instead of mystery pink meat slices, it’s made with chicken! Fabulously effortless.

Chicken Banh Mi

Banh Mi is a meat filled French baguette sandwich stuffed with Asian flavours. Born from the time of France’s occupation of Vietnam, I imagine the French just couldn’t cope without crusty bread so they introduced baguettes to the Vietnamese and the Vietnamese filled it with their meats and herbs and voila! The now-world-famous Banh Mi was born.

While Vietnamese locals love the classic mystery-meat-pork-cold-cuts version, there are all sorts of other varieties across Vietnam and around the world these days. Grilled meats, beef, chicken, meatballs, egg, sausage, BBQ pork, fish, egg, to name a few.

Today, I’m sharing a shredded chicken version which is very popular among Sydney locals who remain suspicious of the mystery pink cold-cut slices!!

One tip: Stuff generously. The photo is above is how it looks when squished. Look how full it is before I picked it up. ⬇️ The motto here – don’t skimp on fillings!!!

Ingredients in chicken banh mi

Any sandwich is the sum of its parts, and it holds extra true for Banh Mi. Each ingredient in isolation is not extraordinary. The combination sounds odd, for for Banh Mi first timers. But one bite is all it will take to get you jumping onto the Banh Mi train!

The baguette

Use a standard crusty white baguette, not a fancy artisan one like sourdough as they are too chewy. The best baguettes used by the most popular Banh Mi vendors in Vietnam have delicate crispy crusts and fluffy soft insides.

If your baguette is not as crusty as you’d like, just pop it in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up. (I do this because it’s just not a proper Banh Mi unless the crust is crispy!)

Stuff inside

• Chicken – I just use a store bought roast chicken for convenience. You could also make your own. Either use a plain brined roast chicken (so the flesh will be seasoned) or poach chicken breast then use a bit of extra Maggi Seasoning.

  The amount of chicken you use will depend on the size of your baguette. You can really be as generous as you want. I’m pretty generous!

  Grilled lemongrass chicken – There’s also varieties of chicken Banh Mi made with grilled marinated chicken. If that’s what you’re after, use the chicken in this Lemongrass chicken recipe, cut it into slices and use in place of the shredded chicken. Skip the Maggi seasoning, you won’t need it.

• Green onion – You need 2 to 3 pieces that are about as long as your bread roll for each Banh Mi.

• Cucumber – You will need 2 thin slices (cut lengthwise) for each Banh Mi. 1 cucumber should be enough.

• Fresh chilli – Either birds eye chilli (popular ones here in Australia) or Thai red chilli. Anything red and fiery. It’s all part of a great Banh Mi!

Quick pickled vegetables

This is one of the things that makes Banh Mi so special – the crunch of pickled carrot and daikon. It’s so good!! Don’t even think about skipping this. If you can’t find daikon (white radish), just double up on carrot.

• Carrot and daikon (white radish) – These are the two pickled vegetables most commonly used in Banh Mi. They are cut into thin batons so you get a terrific crunch (albeit pickled-softened-crunch!) when you bite in them.

  Don’t be tempted to shortcut cutting the vegetables by using a box grater. I tried (the lazy cook in me couldn’t resist) – and it just wasn’t the same. A big vinegary pile of coleslaw-like mush. I missed the crunch!

• Rice wine vinegar – This is the vinegar used for the pickled vegetables, an Asian vinegar made from rice. Substitute with apple cider vinegar.

• Salt and sugar – For pickling. These pickled vegetables are a bit sweet and bit salty, nice balance between the two.

Spreads and sauces

“It’s not a Banh Mi without pate!” she declares vehemently.

• Maggi Seasoning – This is basically like a soy sauce but with more flavour. No, not MSG!

  While some Banh Mi vendors make their own secret sauce, this is the most common sauce used straight out of the bottle. Find it in the Asian or sauce aisle at large grocery stores here in Australia.

• Pate – Chicken pate is on theme here though you can use any pate you want. While you’re most welcome to go ahead and indulge in expensive pate, there’s actually no need. With so much other stuff going on in this sandwich, no one’s going to know if you used a budget pate or a premium one!

• Mayonnaise – Whole egg mayonnaise or Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise please. I don’t use other types of mayonnaise (too vinegary or too sweet).

How to make a chicken banh mi

Making any type of Banh Mi is just about the order in which you layer. Rich and creamy on the bottom, topped with meaty then finished with fresh.

1. Split the baguette in half but don’t cut it all the way through.

2. Butter – Spread butter on the lid of the baguette.

3. Pate and mayo – Spread pate then mayonnaise on the base of the baguette. Don’t skimp – the most popular Banh Mi joints in Vietnam are always the ones that are most generous with the pate!!

4. Chicken and sauce – Top with shredded chicken then drizzle with Maggi Seasoning, the secret Banh Mi sauce!

5. Vegetables & herbs – Stuff in a generous amount of pickled carrot and daikon, layer 2 slices of cucumber then stuff with 2 to 3 green onion stems and a few sprigs of coriander.

6. Chilli – Lastly, sprinkle with as much fresh chilli as you dare, then devour!

   Go hard with the chilli! Little pops of fresh chilli buried amongst the freshness of pickled vegetables is a signature characteristic of Banh Mi so don’t be shy with the chilli! In fact, try it the other way. Be brave, go hard, then if it’s too much for you, just pick ’em out!!

And there you have it. The chicken version of the infamous Banh Mi, filled with flavours like you’ll never experience in a Western sandwich! That combination of the fresh herbs and pickled vegetables with the smear of rich creamy pate and mayonnaise is stellar. It works with many proteins, but using chicken is an easy option if you just use a store bought roast chicken like I do.

If you’re new the world of Banh Mi, this is a good one to start with. Hope you give it a go! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Chicken banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich)

Recipe video above. This is the chicken version of Vietnamese Banh Mi that's so popular in Australia! All the familiar flavours of Banh Mi – pate, mayo, fresh herbs and pickled vegetables – but with shredded chicken instead of mystery pink cold cuts.

Don't skip the pickled vegetables. They totally make it.

For lemongrass grilled chicken, use the chicken in this recipe in place of the shredded chicken, and skip the Maggi seasoning.

Course Sandwich

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword Banh Mi recipe, chicken banh mi, Vietnamese sandwich

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Pickling 2 hours hours

Servings 4

Calories 624cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Pickled vegetables:

• 2 medium carrots , peeled cut into 2-3mm / 1/10″ batons (Note 1)
• 1/2 large white radish (daikon), peeled, cut the same as carrots (Note 1)
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)

Banh Mi:

• 4 crusty white rolls ~ 20cm/8" (Note 2)
• 2 – 3 tbsp salted butter
• 120g/ 4 oz chicken pate (or other pate of choice)
• 4 tbsp whole egg mayonnaise or Kewpie
• 4 cups (400g/ 14oz) shredded chicken (1 small store bought or homemade brined roast chicken, or poached breast)
• 2 – 3 green onion stems , cut to bread roll length (3 pieces per Banh Mi)
• 1 cucumber , thinly sliced lengthwise (2 slices per Banh Mi)
• 1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) coriander/cilantro sprigs
• 1/4 tsp Maggi seasoning per Banh Mi (Note 3)
• 2 – 3 birds eye or Thai red chilli , finely sliced

Instructions

Pickled vegetables:

• Pickle – In a large bowl, dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot water. Stir in vinegar. Add carrots and daikon – they should just about be covered.
• 2 hours – Leave for 2 hours until slightly floppy. Drain well then use per recipe.

Banh Mi:

• Split the bread roll in half but don't cut all the way through.
• Butter – Spread the lid with butter.
• Pate then mayo – Spread the base with 1 to 2 tablespoons pate (be generous!), then 1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise.
• Chicken & Maggi – Pile on shredded chicken, drizzle with 1/4 tsp Maggi seasoning (you can always add more later).
• Fresh stuff! Stuff with pickled vegetables, 2 slices of cucumber, 3 slices of green onion and coriander. Finally, sprinkle with as much chilli as you dare. Jam the lid down and devour!

Notes

1. Carrot and daikon – it’s hard to quantity the amounts but basically you want the same quantity of each, and enough so it is just covered by the pickling liquid. Can’t find white radish? Double up on carrot!

2. Rolls not crusty? Pop them in the oven to crisp up. It’s not Banh Mi if the rolls aren’t crusty!

3. Maggi seasoning – Like soy sauce but with more flavour. No MSG! It’s the classic Banh Mi sauce, though some vendors create their own special sauces. Find it in the Asian aisle or sauce aisle of large grocery stores.

Substitute with a 50/50 combo of soy sauce + Worcestershire sauce.

4. STORAGE: Best assembled and eaten fresh. If you want to take it for lunch, assemble but leave out the Maggi Seasoning and add that just before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 624cal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1474mg | Potassium: 905mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 11640IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 5mg

I love a good sandwich.

And there’s more coming soon!

Chicken sandwiches – gatherings, picnics, lunches!

Banh Mi ! (Vietnamese sandwich)

Steak Sandwich

Reuben Sandwich recipe

Cuban Pork Sandwich (Cubanos) from Chef Movie

Life of Dozer

He was squinting in the sun….

Now I’m squinting in the sun….

The post Chicken Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.