Universal Marinade

Ingredients

• •2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• •2 stalks lemongrass
• •1 whole serrano chile
• •3 cloves garlic
• •1 piece ginger
• •1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• •1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• •1 Tbsp fish sauce
• •1 Tbsp soy sauce
• •1¼ lb meat
• •1 tsp Kosher salt
• •2 whole scallions
• •½ cup cilantro
• •2 tbsp sesame seeds and lime wedges

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Prepare a grill for high indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off; for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side); oil grate. Using a Microplane, finely grate lemongrass, chile (seeds and all!), garlic, and ginger into a medium bowl. (Alternatively, you can chop very finely, then mash to a paste using the side of your knife.) Add brown sugar, oil, fish sauce, and soy sauce and mix well.

   15 min

2. 2.

   Season meat with salt and add to bowl. Turn as needed to coat completely. Let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 2 hours. (If marinating longer, wait to fire up the grill.)

   10 min

3. 3.

   Grill meat over hottest part of grill, moving to cooler zone as needed if browning too fast, until well browned, about 5 minutes per side (depending on protein). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

   20 min

4. 4.

   Transfer meat to a platter and top with scallions and cilantro and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

   5 min