AI-generated image
Bò lá lốt
Beef in betel leaves
Bò lá lốt: minced beef rolled in wild betel leaves and grilled
Saigon's evening grill stalls fan charcoal under racks of bò lá lốt, little cigars of garlicky, lemongrass-scented minced beef wrapped in wild betel leaves that char and turn smoky, almost tea-like. They are eaten rolled in rice paper or lettuce with vermicelli and herbs, dipped in nước chấm or the funkier mắm nêm anchovy sauce. Look for lá lốt (Piper sarmentosum) in Vietnamese and Thai grocers; it is not the same as the betel leaf chewed with areca nut. Chef's tip: wrap with the shiny side of the leaf outward and keep the rolls snug; loose rolls unravel on the grill and the filling dries out.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rolls
- 1 ⅛ lb beef minceabout 15% fat
- 2 stalks lemongrassvery finely chopped
- 2 shallotsminced
- 3 cloves garlicminced
- 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 30 lá lốt leaves (wild betel leaves)washed and dried
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
To serve
- 1 oz roasted peanutscrushed
- 2 tbsp spring onion oil (optional)
- 10 ½ oz cooked rice vermicelli
- 1 plateful lettuce and mixed herbs
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb beef mince with 2 stalks lemongrass, 2 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce, 2 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp five-spice powder and ½ tsp black pepper, kneading until sticky. Cover and chill for 15 minutes so it is easier to roll.
15 minStep 2: Lay a leaf from 30 lá lốt leaves (wild betel leaves) shiny side down, put 1 heaped tbsp of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Repeat; the rolls should be about 7 cm long.
15 minStep 3: Thread 5–6 rolls onto skewers, seam side down, or lay them seam down in a frying pan, and brush with 2 tbsp neutral oil.
2 minStep 4: Grill over hot charcoal or cook in the pan over a medium heat, turning, until the leaves are wilted and blistered in spots and the filling reaches 160°F, firm with no pink.
10 minStep 5: Scatter with 1 oz roasted peanuts and drizzle with 2 tbsp spring onion oil. Serve with 10 ½ oz cooked rice vermicelli, 1 plateful lettuce and mixed herbs and ¾ cup nước chấm (sweet chilli fish-sauce dip) for rolling and dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bò lá lốt take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushroomsBraised tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek