Bún bò xào (Vietnamese noodle and beef salad)

There are dishes that once you try them you can't live without them, that's what happened to me when during a trip to Vietnam I tried for the first time a delicious salad called Bún bò xào.

For those who haven't heard of this fresh delight, I'll tell you that Bún bò xào is a warm salad with many fresh ingredients, all very characteristic of the cuisine of southern Vietnam, a classic dish that almost never fails to appear on the menu of the country's restaurants. A simple meal that allows many variations depending on the type of meat and vegetables you use; that said, my advice is to always prepare it with fresh ingredients and don't skimp on the herbs, which are what give it all its freshness and flavor.

As I said, this salad allows many variations and I, since sometimes I have trouble finding lemongrass which is one of its star ingredients, solve that problem by stir-frying the meat with the delicious Thai Wok oil from La Tourangelle, which besides delicately perfuming the dish, is perfect for all sorts of stir-fries to which you want to give an exotic touch.

Light and refreshing in warm climates, Bún bò xào is a complete salad that lacks nothing and is perfect as a single course when you don't feel like complicating things but do want to eat well.

Are you tempted to make a Bún bò xào?

Ken Hom carbon steel wok

Ingredients (for 4 people)

For the marinated beef:

• 500gr beef tenderloin
• 3 shallots
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 garlic cloves

For the vinaigrette (Nuóc châm):

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 100ml lime juice
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 100gr sugar
• 1 garlic clove

To assemble the salad:

• 300gr thin rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 2 small cucumbers
• Iceberg lettuce or any other crunchy variety
• 2 carrots
• Bean sprouts
• 1 handful of mint leaves, or a mix of cilantro, mint and basil
• 75gr unsalted roasted peanuts
• 2 tablespoons Thai Wok oil from La Tourangelle for stir-frying the meat

Preparation

1. Peel the shallots and cut into thick slices.
2. With a sharp knife cut the tenderloin into 1-centimeter-thick slices and each of these into thin strips making sure the cut is perpendicular to the grain, this way the meat will be tender.
3. In a large bowl, place the meat and the shallots together with the rest of the marinade ingredients, mix and let rest for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Peel and finely chop the garlic clove and mix in a small bowl with the rest of the ingredients, making sure the sugar dissolves completely and set aside.
5. Boil the rice vermicelli following the manufacturer's instructions, drain and refresh with water to stop the cooking, drain again with a colander and set aside.
6. Prepare the vegetables for the salad by cutting the lettuce into thin strips. Chop the mint or the herbs you use and peel the carrot and cucumber. Cut the carrot in half lengthwise and cut each half into sticks about half a centimeter thick and about three centimeters long and cut the cucumber into thin slices.
7. Heat two tablespoons of Thai Wok oil from La Tourangelle in our wok and stir-fry half of the meat for a few minutes until browned on all sides, remove and repeat the process with the other half. If necessary, add a little more oil between batches.
8. To assemble the salad distribute the vermicelli among four bowls, arrange the vegetables next to them, a handful of bean sprouts, the mint and the meat. To finish, crush a handful of peanuts in a mortar and sprinkle them over each salad and dress with the reserved vinaigrette.

Ken Hom carbon steel wok and Thai Wok oil La Tourangelle