Vietnamese Beef Noodle Bowl
THE VIETNAMESE BEEF:
- 1 pound sirloin, sliced into 1/8-1/4-inch strips
- zest of half a lime
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chile paste; more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil (can substitute vegetable oil) Combine beef in a bowl with lime zest, fish sauce, chile paste, ginger, garlic and shallots. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
THE RICE NOODLE SALAD:
- 8 ounces rice vermicelli
- 1 cup cucumber, coarsely chopped
- 1 handful mint leaves, torn
- 1 handful of basil or cilantro leaves
- 3 cups lettuce, chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
Follow package instruction for vermicelli or bun noodles. Essentially, cook the vermicelli in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the noodles to stand in the water for 5 more minutes. Strain in a colander and rinse under cold water, then cover with a damp towel and set aside at room temperature.
In a large bowl, toss the cucumber, mint, cilantro and lettuce.
THE DIPPING SAUCE (Nuoc Cham)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 long, skinny, red chili pepper, jalapeno or Serrano, cored, seeded and minced
- 3 tablespoons carrot, shredded
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Stir together the fish sauce, rice vinegar, water, and sugar in microwave for 1 minute to melt sugar. Let cool. Add the garlic, chili, carrot and lime juice to the dipping sauce. (the sauce can be made a day or two ahead)
Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in two batches, stir-fry the beef until browned and caramelized, cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat. Return the first batch of beef to the wok and heat through.
When ready to serve, divide the rice noodles among 4 serving bowls. Top with lettuce mixture.
Serve the sizzling hot beef on top of the rice noodle salad and sprinkle with the peanuts. Drizzle the dipping sauce over top.