Bo Nuong Xa

[Al_Dente]

Bo Nuong Xa

Serves 4 as Main Dish.

This is a killer dish. I've made it 3 or 4 times and it has always knocked people out. It's a lot of prep work (cleaning and chopping veggies), but otherwise fairly easy. I once made it for 18 people-- took me all freakin day.

This is based on a recipe from the Washington Post. You can, if necessary, substitute regular basil for the Thai basil, and I never found "Saw Leaf" so I omitted it. I always use lettuce wraps rather than the rice paper ones. Cook the beef on a good and hot grill or under the broiler. You definitely want a good chargrilled crust on the outside. This dish is also fairly cheap since you don't need a lot of beef and it's mostly veggies. I think when I made it for 18 people, I probably spent just under $100.

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For the beef:

• 1/4 c fish sauce
  
• 1 T thick soy sauce
  
• 2 T vegetable oil, plus additional for the pan, if using
  
• 3 T sugar
  
• 2 stalks lemon grass, outer leaves and tough green tops removed, root ends trimmed and stalks finely ground or minced
  
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed, peeled and finely chopped
  
• 1-1/2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
  
• Bamboo skewers soaked in water for 20 minutes
  

For the table salad:

• 1 c (about 4 ounces) rice vermicelli
  
• 1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated, or 12 small round or triangle rice papers, soaked*
  
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and thinly sliced
  
• 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and julienned or shredded
  
• 1 unripe star fruit, thinly sliced
  

For the rau (traditional herbs)

• 1 bunch cilantro
  
• 1 bunch mint
  
• 1 bunch holy (Thai) basil
  
• 1 bunch saw leaf
  

For the Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce:

• 5 T sugar
  
• 3 T water
  
• 1/3 c fish sauce
  
• 1/2 c lime or lemon juice (about 3 or 4 limes or 2 lemons)
  
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed and peeled and then sliced or minced
  
• 1 bird's eye or Thai chili pepper, seeded and sliced or minced, or to taste
  
• 1 shallot, peeled, thinly sliced, rinsed and drained (optional)
  
• 1/2 c unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped (optional)
  

Bo Nuong Xa

(Grilled Lemon Grass Beef Cubes)

(4 to 6 servings)

This is an excellent way to prepare beef. Marinated in lemon grass, fish sauce and sugar, it is robust in flavor, yet relatively light. It is best grilled, which not only crisps the meat but gives it a smoky flavor.

The meat can be served simply with rice, but I like to combine a bit of the grilled beef with some rice vermicelli, wrap it in a bundle in a lettuce leaf or rice paper with the Traditional Herbs (recipe follows), a slice of star fruit and a drizzle of oil and dip in Nuoc Cham (recipe follows).

For the beef: In a medium bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, oil and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the lemon grass, garlic, and beef and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Soak the bamboo skewers.

For the table salad: Place the vermicelli in a dish and cover with lukewarm water. Set aside to soak until pliable, about 20 minutes.

On a large serving platter or several plates, arrange the lettuce or rice papers, cucumber, carrots and star fruit.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drain the vermicelli and, working in batches, place it in a sieve and lower into the boiling water. Using a chopstick, untangle the noodles and boil until tender but still firm, about 3 seconds. Drain and place on the plate with the other ingredients.

Slide 2 to 4 cubes of beef onto each skewer, depending on how long the skewers are, discarding the marinade.

Preheat the grill or broiler or set a lightly oiled grill pan or nonstick skillet over high heat. Grill, broil or sear the beef skewers until well browned on each side and crisp on the edges, about 1 minute per side. Remove the beef from the skewers. Set aside.

For the assembly: Toss the beef cubes with a little from each of the table salad items and Traditional Herbs. Serve on individual plates or in large soup bowls (as is traditional), sprinkle with peanuts, drizzle with oil and Nuoc Cham and toss to combine well.

Note: Rice papers are traditionally used to wrap grilled meats. First, however, they must be soaked in lukewarm water to cover for about 3 minutes and drained on paper towels.

Per serving (including herbs and 1 tablespoon of nuoc cham): 337 calories, 26 gm protein, 24 gm carbohydrates, 14 gm fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 5 gm saturated fat, 450 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber

For the Rau

(Traditional Herbs)

(4 to 6 servings)

Some of these herbs are hard to get unless you live near a Southeast Asian food market. Mint and cilantro, however, are available in most markets. Italian basil is not a substitute for holy, or Thai, basil, because its flavor is much different. This traditional herb garnish is used in soups or served alongside the table salad to complement grilled or fried meats and seafood dishes.

Keeping the stems and leaves intact, clean the cilantro, mint, holy basil and saw leaves thoroughly, drain on paper towels and arrange on a plate in individual piles.

For the Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

(Makes about 2 cups)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, water, fish sauce and lime or lemon juice until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the garlic, chili pepper and shallot, if using. Set aside for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Keywords: Main Dish, Amuse, Intermediate, Beef, Vegetables, Vietnamese, Southeast Asian

( RG317 )