Boil some large (preferably waxy) potatoes in the usual way with skins on.
Leave to cool (even overnight in the fridge).
Remove skins and cut into slices or chunks/cubes that aren’t going to fall through the holes in the grill.
Place over the charcoal and cook on all sides to brown.

Season AFTER grilling with either salt and pepper or prickly ash.

Great smoky flavour.

Charcoal Grilled Pork Chops – three recipes

Version 1:

Ingredients:
10 – 12 pork chops (about 1cm thick)

Marinade:
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt

Place the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and chop finely.
Marinade the pork chops for one hour in the mixture at room temperature.
Drain the marinade from the chops and place into the metal grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with plain rice or rice noodles, sliced cucumber, salad and Vietnamese pickles (carrot, baby leeks, etc).
Use nuoc cham for dipping

Version 2:

Ingredients:
10 – 12 pork chops (about 1cm thick)

Marinade:
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp sugar
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 2cm piece of lemongrass, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp Cointreau or Triple Sec
1/2 tsp salt

Place the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and chop finely.
Marinade the pork chops for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the mixture at room temperature.
Drain the marinade from the chops and place into the metal grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with plain rice or rice noodles, sliced cucumber, salad and Vietnamese pickles
Use nuoc cham for dipping

Version 1:

Ingredients:
10 – 12 pork chops (about 1cm thick)

Marinade:
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
2 garlic cloves
1 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp five spice powder
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt

Place the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and chop finely.
Marinade the pork chops for one hour in the mixture at room temperature.
Drain the marinade from the chops and place into the metal grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with plain rice or rice noodles, sliced cucumber, salad and Vietnamese pickles (carrot, baby leeks, etc).
Use nuoc cham for dipping

Chicken Grilled on Charcoal BBQ

Version 1

Ingredients:
10 – 12 pieces of chicken thigh, without bone

Marinade:
4 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
3 garlic cloves
1 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Place the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and chop finely.
Marinade the chicken for one hour in the mixture in the fridge.
Drain them and place into the greased grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with plain or sticky rice and salad.
Use nuoc cham for dipping

Version 2

Ingredients:
10 – 12 pieces of chicken thigh, without bone

Marinade:
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced finely
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Place the marinade ingredients into a bowl & blend well.
Rub the marinade into the chicken and leave for one hour in the fridge.
Drain them and place into the greased grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with sweet sticky rice and salad.
Use nuoc cham for dipping.

Version 3

Ingredients:
10 – 12 pieces of chicken thigh, without bone

Marinade:
4 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, minced finely
2 Tbsp spring onion finely chopped
1 tsp salt

Place the marinade ingredients into a bowl & blend well.
Rub the marinade into the chicken and leave for one hour in the fridge.
Drain them and place into the greased grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with sweet sticky rice or bread and salad.
Use nuoc cham for dipping.

Beef Grilled on Charcoal BBQ

Version 1

Ingredients:
500g piece of beef fillet, thinly sliced across the grain
1 Tbsp cognac, brandy or triple sec
250 g minced beef
4 Tbsp roasted peanuts
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp Vietnamese curry powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Wooden skewers soaked in water for an hour

Marinade the fillet in the cognac or triple sec and leave aside while preparing filling.
Place remaining ingredients, except minced beef into a food processor or blender and chop finely.
Mix this with the minced beef and place a tablespoon of the mixture onto each beef fillet slice. Roll up each slice and place on a skewer making sure the filling is covered by the fillet.
Place them into the greased grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with lettuce leaves and nuoc cham for dipping.

Version 2

Ingredients:
500g piece of beef fillet, thinly sliced across the grain
1 Tbsp cognac, brandy or triple sec
250 g minced pork or chicken
1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Wooden skewers soaked in water for an hour

Marinade the fillet in the cognac or triple sec and leave aside while preparing filling.
Place the garlic and mushrooms into a frypan with the oil and sauté until soft. Add the sugar and salt.
Mix this with the minced pork or chicken and place a tablespoon of the mixture onto each beef fillet slice. Roll up each slice and place on a skewer making sure the filling is covered by the fillet.
Place them into the greased grill.
Grill over medium heat on the Table Top BBQ until golden brown.
Serve with lettuce leaves and nuoc cham for dipping.

La Lot – Grilled Beef Wrapped in Wild Betel Leaves

Ingredients:
500g coarsely ground beef
100g pork back fat, ground
¼ cup shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
30 large “la lot (pepper leaves) or red perilla or grape leaves
Wooden skewers soaked in cold water

Method:
Combine all the ingredients except the leaves and skewers. Knead well.
Place betel leaves dark side down on a work surface and place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the leaf and roll up into a tiny cylinder, making sure that the meat is all covered by the leaf. Thread onto a skewer so that about 6 – 8 cylinders are lined up, side-by side. Place the skewers in rows along side each other onto greased metal griddles.
Prepare the charcoal grill and cook the parcels, turning twice, until cooked through, about 8 – 10 minutes. Watch carefully as they tend to char if the heat is too high.
Serve with greens, rice paper rolls and dipping sauce.

Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
1 clove garlic (from above)
1/2 teaspoon chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
pinch salt

Method:
Place garlic clove and chilli into a blender with sugar and chop until fine. Add remaining ingredients and mix all together.