A Very Authentic Countryside Bún Bò Xả Ớt

Bún bò xả ớt is an iconic Vietnamese beef with lemongrass chili. Mild, smoky, delicious and traditionally served with rice, noodles or salad rolls.

It’s a story but it’s not long

A long time ago my grandmother took me to the farmer’s market and shared this recipe with me…just kidding.

But not really. My family is from the deep countryside of Vietnam – a small fishing village along the coast where no tourists ever came. My mother kept baby ducks and baby pigs as pets and forbade my grandmother from killing them for dinner. As in France and everywhere else, people from the countryside and the seaside take food much more seriously than city dwellers.

In her corner of the world, my mother is famous for this dish. When she was younger, this is what she made for dinners and celebrations. A few years ago she visited old friends in Melbourne. They invited a large number of people all from the same small village and, you guessed it, asked him to prepare it for them.

Steph doesn’t really know, but it was even a housewarming gift my mother gave us when we moved in together: a 5-pound brick of the chicken version of this thing Store in the freezer and prepare as needed. Steph kept asking for morebut that never happened because my mother essentially retired from cooking.

This specific lemongrass beef recipe

I would love to say this recipe came from my mother, but that would only be a half-truth. When I was younger I asked him how to do this and got the usual “a little of this and a little of that”. I have since refined it into the recipe below over the years. It’s informed and taste-inspired by my mother’s version, and has a very similar taste, but modernized. Honestly, I like my version better for its ease, simplicity and reproducibility by everyone. I can’t deny that my mother’s version will always be nostalgic for me, but this new version is my favorite, although maybe it’s time to invite my parents to lunch with a big case of pre-marinated hors d’oeuvres. retirement. meat and relive the nostalgia.

Note: This recipe is for the vermicelli noodle bowl version, because that’s how people know it, but my family would happily prepare all the components as a family around a tabletop grill and roll everything into salad rolls at the table.

What is chili-lemongrass beef?

Bò xả ớt means beef with lemongrass and chili. It is a favorite dish in Vietnam and increasingly famous in the rest of the world. It is charred, smoked, lemony, sweet and lightly spiced beef, usually served in a bowl of vermicelli or on a plate of rice, or as the central protein of a roll salad, although this is usually made more à la the house. If you can find the DIY version of the salad roll at a restaurant, you’ve struck gold.

What cut of beef to use for lemongrass beef?

The best cut of beef for bò xả ớt is a bit of a controversial debate. My mother would say a triple AAA USDA ribeye. The internet is talking about flank or skirt steak. I say, you’re overcooking, it won’t matter. Get the cheapest steak you would ever want to get.

Cool your beef thoroughly before slicing and don’t be afraid to add it again halfway through cooking if it’s hot. You want fairly thin slices, 1/8″ or less. If you buy from a butcher or a good grocery store with a meat section, they may do it for you.

Grill or fry

In much of Vietnam, the proper way to cook meat is to grill it over hot coals, or nowadays, gas. I completely agree with this: if you bother to light the barbecue, you should. If you have a table grillthese also produce great results (and this is how we eat it when dining with my parents on their patio).

But I’ve also tried frying it literally every way: in cast iron, in stainless steel, in nonstick, and in a wok, and I can confidently say that some of the simplest and best results come surprisingly non-stick. The charring you see in these photos is from nonstick, except the one below, which is cast iron.

Mortar and pestle

If you have the equipment and the will, a mortar and pestle goes a long way to the authenticity, both to the Vietnamese character of this recipe and to its country character as well. Chopping doesn’t release the flavors and juices like a good crushing in a mortar and pestle does. This is completely optional and you can just chop it, but for me the mortar and pestle makes all the difference.

Spice level

The name of this dish includes chili, and central Vietnam is known for its very spicy dishes, but it’s not necessary if you don’t want to fry your tongue. I gave the appropriate amounts of Thai chili pepper to make it a nice amount of heat (my mom’s version would have 4 times the amount of chili peppers), but if you don’t like spicy, substitute another chili pepper for the Thai chili peppers red of your choice. , including peppers if that’s what you like.

I hope you try this dish, it’s one of my personal soul food meals. If you like it, please share it widely, because there are some truly terrible versions floating around the internet, although I’m sure that’s the case for any cuisine.

-lemongrass is my drug of choice
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The best vermicelli with beef, lemongrass and chili – Vietnamese recipe for beef with lemongrass

Smoky umami goodness in a bowl.

Serves 4

Preparation time 15 minutes minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes minutes

Marinating time 1 hour hour

Total duration 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

• 1 kg beef for example, inexpensive sirloin, thinly sliced ​​1/8″ thick
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 1″ ginger axabout 30g/2 tbsp
• 6 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 stems lemongrass axabout 30g/2 tbsp
• 8 Thai chili peppers sliceor other red pepper of your choice
• 3 tablespoon fish sauce see note
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil

Optional components for the noodle bowl

• 4 servings vermicelli
• 1/4 English cucumber thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup lettuce or cabbage thinly sliced
• 4 corners lime
• 1/4 cup coriander coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fried shallots commercially available

• At least 1 hour before (overnight is better), marinate the beef: crush 1 tablespoon of sugar, half of the ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, half of the lemongrass and 1 Thai chili pepper in a mortar . Mix with the thinly sliced ​​beef, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, oyster sauce and oil. Mix well, then cover and store in the refrigerator.

• At the same time, prepare your fish sauce: mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon ginger, 4 garlic cloves, and 2 to 4 Thai chili peppers (to taste) in a mortar and pestle. Mash it into a fine paste, then transfer it to a jar with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 cup of water. Keep refrigerated.

• When you’re ready to eat, cook your vermicelli for the time indicated on the package (usually 3 minutes), then drain and rinse well with cold water. Cancel. Prepare your vegetables. In the photo I used quick pickled cucumbers, purple cabbage, lettuce, cilantro, lime and fried onions.

• To make quick pickled cucumbers, thinly slice 1/4 of an English cucumber, then toss it with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water.

• Heat a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Fry the remaining tablespoon of chopped lemongrass until crisp and golden, then drain and set aside, reserving the oil.

• Add the marinated meat to the pan and fry until nicely charred on both sides. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your nonstick pan.

• Arrange the vermicelli, vegetables and beef in a bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup fish sauce, then garnish with fried lemongrass, fried shallots, a squeeze of lime, and sliced ​​chili peppers, as desired.

Nutrition Facts

The Best Beef, Lemongrass and Chili Vermicelli – Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Recipe

Amount per serving

Calories 299
Calories from fat 95

% daily value*

Fat 10.6g16%

Saturated fat 3.1 g19%

Cholesterol 101mg34%

Sodium 1201mg52%

Potassium 495 mg14%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 0.2g1%

Sugar 10.4g12%

Protein 36.5g73%

*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.