Bò Nướng Lá Lốt (Vietnamese Grilled Beef in Betel Leaf) is a wildly popular and fragrant street food. Just follow your nose. I’ve been wanting to try making it but I had a hard time finding the leaf. Turns out, my mom had it growing in her prolific Placentia, CA garden. She enabled this dish.
Ingredients
- 2 oz ground fatty ground beef
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 25–30 betel lolot leaves
- Soaked wooden skewers
Instructions
- To prepare the leaves: Rinse the leaves thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Use a long skewer to secure a bunch at a time.
- Beef filling: In a large bowl, mix together ground beef with shallots, garlic, black pepper, sugar, fish sauce, oyster, and chicken bouillon powder.
- Fill the leaves: Lay leaf flat with glossy side face down and narrow end at the bottom. Put about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the leaf, more or less depending on the size of the leaf. Fold the narrow end over the filling, then carefully roll up. Pierce the stem into the roll to prevent it from unraveling. If the stem is too flimsy, pierce a hole in the roll with a small knife then insert the stem. Lay roll flat with stem-side down. Repeat the process with the remaining leaves and beef mixture.
- Grill: Grill the rolls to get a smokey flavor for about 2 minutes per side.
- Serve: Place the rolls in a bowl with thin rice noodles, chopped lettuce, and assorted Vietnamese herbs. Top with roasted peanuts and a Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce.
Trekaphile 