What I love about Vietnamese food is how all the flavours come together. You’ve got savoury, sweet, sour and spicy. Then add some freshness using fresh herbs and vegetables. This recipe using beef and lemongrass is so delicious and it’s really quick and easy to make.
Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound beef flank steak, thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons oil
For the marinade
2 tablespoons fresh lemongrass, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon oil
For the dipping sauce
¼ cup sugar
½ cup warm water
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon lemongrass and garlic paste
1 chopped red Thai chili
For serving
6-8 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
4 leaves lettuce, shredded
1 cucumber, sliced
Fresh Thai basil leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Fried shallots
Instructions
- If you have a mortar and pestle, ground the lemongrass and garlic together to make a paste. Otherwise simply chop them up very finely.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the beef with the remaining marinade ingredients and the past (while reserving a teaspoon that will go into the dipping sauce). Let marinate for 30 minutes or covered and refrigerate up to overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce in a small bowl by dissolving sugar in warm water. Stir in lime juice, fish sauce, lemongrass and garlic paste and chili. Set aside.
- Also, prepare the rice vermicelli by soaking the noodles in warm water for about 10 minutes and prepare the remaining ingredients.
- In a wok or large frying pan on medium high heat, add a tablespoon oil. Add the half the beef and sear on one side for a minute. Flip the meat over and sear the other side. Cook until cooked through. Remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining beef.
- Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Divide the noodles into four portions and spread onto individual plates. Feel free to cut up the noodles if necessary.
- Divide beef evenly and spread on top of the rice vermicelli. Top with lettuce, cucumber, Thai basil, cilantro and fried shallots. Drizzle dipping sauce over each plate and serve with extra sauce on the side. Or serve family style and let each person make their own plate.
Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef and Vermicelli
What I love about Vietnamese food is how all the flavours come together. You’ve got savoury, sweet, sour and spicy. Then add some freshness using fresh herbs and vegetables. This recipe using beef and lemongrass is so delicious and it’s really quick and easy to make.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef flank steak thinly sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons oil
For the marinade
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemongrass chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon oil
For the dipping sauce
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup warm water
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemongrass and garlic paste
- 1 red Thai chili chopped
For serving
- 6-8 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
- 4 leaves lettuce shredded
- 1 cucumber sliced
- Fresh Thai basil leaves
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Fried shallots
Instructions
- If you have a mortar and pestle, ground the lemongrass and garlic together to make a paste. Otherwise simply chop them up very finely.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the beef with the remaining marinade ingredients and the past (while reserving a teaspoon that will go into the dipping sauce). Let marinate for 30 minutes or covered and refrigerate up to overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce in a small bowl by dissolving sugar in warm water. Stir in lime juice, fish sauce, lemongrass and garlic paste and chili. Set aside.
- Also, prepare the rice vermicelli by soaking the noodles in warm water for about 10 minutes and prepare the remaining ingredients.
- In a wok or large frying pan on medium high heat, add a tablespoon oil. Add the half the beef and sear on one side for a minute. Flip the meat over and sear the other side. Cook until cooked through. Remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining beef.
- Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Divide the noodles into four portions and spread onto individual plates. Feel free to cut up the noodles if necessary.
- Divide beef evenly and spread on top of the rice vermicelli. Top with lettuce, cucumber, Thai basil, cilantro and fried shallots. Drizzle dipping sauce over each plate and serve with extra sauce on the side. Or serve family style and let each person make their own plate.