Bún bò xào (Vietnamese beef and noodle 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 of you who haven't heard of this fresh delight, Bún bò xào is a warm salad with lots of fresh ingredients , all of them very characteristic of southern Vietnamese cuisine, a classic dish that is almost never missing from the menu of restaurants in the country. A simple meal that allows for many variations depending on the type of meat and vegetables you use, but 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 flavour.

As I told you, this salad allows for many variations and, as I sometimes have difficulty finding lemon grass, which is one of its star ingredients, I solve this problem by sautéing the meat with the delicious Thai Wok oil from La Tourangelle , which, in addition to delicately perfuming the dish, is perfect for all types 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 that lacks nothing and is perfect as a single dish when you don't feel like complicating things, but you do feel like eating well.

Do you dare to prepare a Bún bò xào?

Ken Hom Carbon Steel Wok

Ingredients (for 4 people)

For the marinated beef:

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

For the vinaigrette (Nuóc châm):

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

To assemble the salad:

• 300gr of fine rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 2 small cucumbers
• Iceberg lettuce or any other crunchy variety
• 2 carrots
• Soybean sprouts
• 1 handful of mint leaves, or a mix of cilantro, mint and basil
• 75gr of roasted unsalted peanuts
• 2 tablespoons of La Tourangelle “Thai Wok” oil to sauté the meat

Preparation

1. Peel the shallots and cut into thick slices.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the sirloin into slices one centimetre thick and each of these into thin strips, making sure that the cut is perpendicular to the fibres, this way the meat will be tender.
3. In a large bowl , add the meat and shallots along with the rest of the marinade ingredients, mix and let rest for at least one 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 strainer and set aside.
6. Prepare the vegetables for the salad by cutting the lettuce into thin strips. Chop the mint or herbs you want to use and peel the carrot and cucumber. Cut the carrot in half lengthwise and each of these halves into sticks about half a centimetre thick and about three centimetres long, and cut the cucumber into thin slices.
7. Heat two tablespoons of La Tourangelle “Thai Wok” oil in your wok and sauté half of the meat for a few minutes until it is 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, divide the vermicelli between four bowls, then place the vegetables, a handful of bean sprouts, the mint and the meat. To finish, crush a handful of peanuts in a mortar and pestle, then spread over each of the salads and dress with the reserved vinaigrette.

Ken Hom carbon steel wok and Thai Wok oil La Tourangelle