Name: Chargrilled Lemongrass Beef (Bò Nướng Xả)
Yield: Makes 12 Skewers
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) minced beef; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 10 spring onions (scallions), white part only, sliced; 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds; 4 small baguettes or small Vietnamese bread rolls, warmed; 2 lemongrass stems, white part only, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon shrimp paste; 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) hoisin dipping sauce

Preparation info

Makes
12
Skewers

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

About

THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS OF THIS DISH FOUND THROUGHOUT VIETNAM BUT I FIND THIS ONE THE EASIEST TO PREPARE. MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE VIETNAMESE-STYLE BAGUETTES, WHICH ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN THE FRENCH TYPE.

Ingredients

10 spring onions (scallions), white part only, sliced
2 lemongrass stems, white part only, finely chopped
2 garl

Method

Put the spring onions, lemongrass, garlic and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper in a mortar, and pound to a fine paste. Alternatively, use a food processor to make the paste.

Transfer the paste to a large bowl and add the beef, shrimp paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and sesame seeds. Mix well, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour for the flavours to