Vietnamese Ginger Chicken (Pork Loin substitution)

Vietnamese Ginger Chicken is recipe that is based upon a marinade. You can substitute Pork Loin for the Chicken if you prefer. This recipe is GREAT! I absolutely loved the flavor of the Marinade and it infused the Pork to its core! This is one we will make again soon. As a plus I get lots of left over Pork for subsequent sandwiches! Persimmons are in season and we had a perfect fall Salad with Persimmons, Almonds and Prosciutto. This was a wonderful dinner!

Vietnamese Ginger Chicken
Dinner Changing the Game
 
Heady and gingery, with a salty-caramel flavor from the soy sauce and slightly sweet note from a touch of brown sugar, this is midweek cooking at its best. If you tend to keep fresh ginger and lime on hand, you'll be able to whip this up with pantry staples, except maybe for the chicken. I call for boneless chicken thighs here because they have a rich enough flavor to stand up to the complexity of the marinade. But if it's white meat or bust at your house, go ahead and substitute thin chicken cutlets, reducing the broiling time to two to three minutes per side. This versatile marinade also works on full-flavored fish such as salmon or tuna, and it is terrific on pack tenderloin Make it once and you'll want to find lots of ways to keep using it. It's that tasty and that convenient.
 
1½    pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½      teaspoon kosher salt
1       tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1       tablespoon soy sauce
1       tablespoon light brown sugar
2       teaspoons peanut oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus ½ lime, for serving
11-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2       garlic cloves, finely chopped
Pinch of red chili flakes
Cooked rice or rice noodles, for serving
Fresh cilantro, for serving
at least 30 minutes marinating
 
1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and season them with the salt.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut oil, lime zest and juice, ginger, garlic, and red chile flakes. Add the chicken and mix well to coat. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for as long as overnight.

3. Arrange a rack in the position closest to the heat source and heat the broiler.

4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spread the chicken out on it in a single layer. Broil the chicken, turning the pieces over halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve over rice or rice noodles, topped with a squeeze of lime and some cilantro leaves.