Bun Bo Xao (Vietnamese beef and glass noodle salad)

Similar to nue num tok , Bun Bo Xao is Vietnamese version of beef salad, refreshing and full of goodness. Once you got all the ingredients prepared it is very simple.

Recipe will feed 2 people

1. Beef
250g rump steak or sirloin
1-1/4 tbsp of fish sauce
3 fat cloves of garlic
2 sticks of lemongrass
1 tsp of sugar
2 tbsp cooking oil or oil left from frying crispy shallot


2. Salad
125g of glass noodles (cellophane noodles)
1 medium carrot
about 2 - 3 leaves of green crispy lettuce like cox or oriental lettuce
1 handful of beansprout
small handful of oriental herbs you can find or got in the fridge- coriander (cilantro), Vietnamese mint (rau ram or laksa leaf), Thai basil or common mint (chopped)


3. Nuoc Cham Sauce
1 large red chilli, chopped or minced
1 - 3 bird eyes (if you like hot), chopped or minced
1 clove of garlic, chopped or minced
1 lime, juice
1 heap tbsp sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
4 - 5 tbsp of hot water

some roasted peanuts, roughly chopped


Method:

1. Prepare the beef, remove any gristly bits on the beef and cut the meat into very thin slices. Chopped garlic. Remove the outside 2 tough layers of the lemongrass, top and tail then cut the bottom 3 inches into paper thin rings. Mix all the ingredient together and leave to marinate for about 20 minute or make in advance.
   
2. Make the nuoc cham sauce by mixing all the ingredients together.
   
3. Prepare the salad, soak the noodles in warm water till soft for about 15 min. Shred the carrot (I used a mandoline) and cut lettuce into thin strips. Rinse bean sprouts. Drain off noodle soaking water. Put noodles and bean sprouts together in a large bowl, pour in boiling water and leave for about 1 minute, then drain. Rinse with cold water, shake off excess water. Mix all the salad ingredients together. Pile this on serving plate or salad bowl. Mix this with 2 - 3 tbsp of the nuoc cham sauce.
   
4. Heat the pan till red hot, spread the beef evenly and thinly on the hot pan, do not stir let the beef brown on the bottom then stir quickly to coat some of the caramelised bit all over the beef then ready to put beef on the the salad. Spoon on more nouc cham sauce all over the salad. Then sprinkle on peanuts. Ready to eat.

** Can sub beef with chicken or pork.
Any nouc cham sauce not used can keep in the fridge and use within a week.