Bún bò xào (Vietnamese beef and noodle salad)

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

For those of you who have not heard of this fresh delight, I will tell you that Bún bò xào is a warm salad with many fresh ingredients , all of them very characteristic of southern Vietnamese cuisine, a classic dish that is almost never missing from the menu. of the country's restaurants. A simple meal that admits many variants depending on the type of meat and vegetables you use, yes, my advice is that you always prepare it with fresh ingredients and do not skimp on the herbs , which are what give it all its freshness and flavor.

As I told you, this salad admits of many variations and, since I sometimes have difficulties finding lemongrass, which is one of its star ingredients, I solve this problem by sautéing the meat with the delicious La Tourangelle Thai Wok oil, which in addition to perfuming delicately the dish, it is perfect for all kinds of stir-fries to which you want to give an exotic touch.

Light and refreshing in hot climates, Bún bò xào is a complete salad in which nothing is missing and is perfect as a single dish when you don't feel like overcomplicating yourself, but you do want to eat well.

Do you dare to prepare a Bún bò xào?

Ken Hom carbon steel wok

Ingredients (for 4 people)

For the marinated beef:

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

For the vinaigrette (Nuóc châm):

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

To assemble the salad:

• 300gr of fine 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 coriander, mint, and basil
• 75gr roasted unsalted peanuts
• 2 tablespoons of “Thai Wok” oil from La Tourangelle to sauté the meat

Preparation

1. Peel the shallots and cut into thick slices.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the sirloin into slices one centimeter thick and each one into thin strips, making sure that the cut is perpendicular to the fibers, thus 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 it rest for at least an hour in the fridge.
4. Meanwhile, we prepare the vinaigrette. Peel and finely chop the garlic clove and mix in a small bowl with the rest of the ingredients, making sure that the sugar dissolves completely and set aside.
5. Boil the rice vermicelli following the manufacturer's instructions, drain and refresh with water to stop cooking, drain again through a strainer and reserve.
6. Prepare the vegetables for the salad by cutting the lettuce into thin strips. Chop the mint or the herbs that we use and peel the carrot and cucumber. Cut the carrot in half lengthwise and each of those halves forming sticks half a centimeter thick by about three centimeters long and cut the cucumber into thin slices.
7. Heat two tablespoons of La tourangelle “Thai Wok” oil in our wok and sauté half of the meat for a few minutes until golden brown on all sides, set aside and repeat the process with the other half. If necessary, add a little more oil between batches.
8. To assemble the salad, we divide the vermicelli between four bowls, next to these we have the vegetables, a handful of bean sprouts, the mint and the meat. To finish, in a mortar we crush a handful of peanuts that we will distribute on each of the salads and dress with the reserved vinaigrette.

Ken Hom carbon steel wok and Thai oil Wok La Tourangelle