Ginger and Lemongrass (say fever grass in the Caribbean) are two of my fav flavors for marinating meats, especially when playing on the grill. Arguably not a Caribbean recipe, but the closer you look at the ingredients in the maridane you’ll understand why I shared this recipe.
You’ll Need…
2 lbs chicken
2 lbs pork
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 /2 tablespoon veg oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 scallions (chopped)
3 bird’s eye pepper (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 pimento pepper (chopped / optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
Notes! I recommend that you follow along with the video below, as much more about the recipe is discussed there, including the cuts of chicken and pork to use and how to cook indoors or outdoors on your choice of grill.
Create a marinade with everything mentioned in the ingredients list except the chicken, and pork. Please wear gloves when handling the peppers and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. Use any spicy pepper you like and in the amounts you can tolerate.
In the video, I explained how to tap the lemongrass with the handle of your knife before chopping it. This will further bruise the stems to let out the fragrant oils within.
Since I was making a combination of chicken and pork, I placed them in a bowl and divided the marinade between them. Marinate for at least 2 hours before grilling.
About 30 minutes before my charcoal grill was ready, I took them out of the fridge to return to room temperature.
Grill over direct heat for 2 – 3 minutes on each side, then move them to cook for another 25 minutes with indirect heat (lid on). The cooking time will vary according to the thickness of the meats. The sugars in the marinade will want to burn or char quickly, so keep that in mind.
Basically, grill them the way you’d normally grill.
Serve with lime wedges or Hoisin sauce as a dip. Feel free to also brush on some Hoising a minute or 2 before you’re done grilling them. Slice and get ready to enjoy some of the best chicken and pork you’ve ever had.
