Bò Tái Chanh (Lemon-cured Beef with Rice Paddy Herb)
Bò Tái Chanh (Lemon-cured Beef with Rice Paddy Herb) is a traditional Vietnamese recipe for a classic starter or main course component of thinly-sliced beef cured in lemon juice that's served with a mix of herbs, onion, bean sprouts, chillies and peanuts and accompanied by a fish sipping sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Vietnamese version of: Lemon-cured Beef with Rice Paddy Herb (Bò Tái Chanh).
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Ingredients:
400ml fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp finely-ground white pepper
500g sirloin steak, trimmed and sliced as thinly as possible
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 generous handful of saw-tooth coriander, roughly chopped
1 generous handful of rice paddy herb, roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced
100g bean sprouts
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
1 birds' eye chilli, sliced Nuoc man cham (fish dipping sauce) to serve
groundnut oil, for frying
Method:
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok, add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute, or until aromatic but not burnt. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside along with 1/2 tsp of the garlic oil.
Combine the lemon juice and fish sauce in a bowl then whisk in the salt, sugar and pepper. Arrange the beef slices in a single layer on a plate or flat-bottomed dish then pour over the lemon juice mixture and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes, ensuring that the beef is completely covered in the curing liquid during this time.
Take the beef out of the lemon curing mix and drain off any excess juice. Now combine in a bowl with the garlic, garlic oil, herbs, onion and bean sprouts. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with the peanuts and chilli.