{"id":31824,"date":"2024-08-02T00:05:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T07:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/?p=31824"},"modified":"2024-08-01T22:40:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T05:40:27","slug":"a-very-authentic-countryside-bun-bo-xa-ot-vietnamese-lemongrass-beef-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/a-very-authentic-countryside-bun-bo-xa-ot-vietnamese-lemongrass-beef-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"A Very Authentic Countryside B\u00fan B\u00f2 X\u1ea3 \u1edat – Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

B\u00fan b\u00f2 x\u1ea3 \u1edbt is an iconic Vietnamese lemongrass chili beef. Sweet, smoky, delicious, and traditionally served up with rice, noodles, or in salad rolls.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s a story but it’s not long<\/h2>\n

Long ago my grandmother took me to the farmer’s market and shared this recipe with me…just kidding.<\/p>\n

But, not really. My family is from the deep, deep countryside of Vietnam – a tiny fishing village along the coast where no tourists ever visited. My mom kept baby ducks and baby pigs as pets and forebade my grandma from killing them for dinner. Like in France and anywhere else, countryside-folk and seaside-folk take food far more seriously than city-dwellers do.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/p>\n

In her part of the world, my mom is famous for this dish. When she was younger, it\u2019s what she would make for dinner parties and celebrations. A few years back, she visited some old friends in Melbourne. They invited a large bunch of people who all came from the same little village, and, you guessed it, asked her to make it for them.<\/p>\n

Steph doesn\u2019t really know it, but it was even a housewarming gift my mom gave us when we moved in together: a 5lb brick of the chicken version of this stuff<\/a> to be kept in the freezer and made as-needed. Steph always asked for more<\/a>, but it never happened because my mom essentially retired from cooking.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/p>\n

This specific lemongrass beef recipe<\/h2>\n

I would love to say that this recipe came from my mom, but it would only be a half-truth. When I was younger, I asked her how to make this and got the usual \u201ca little of this and a little of that.\u201d I\u2019ve since refined it into the recipe below over the years. It’s informed and inspired by the taste of my mom\u2019s version, and tastes very similar, but modernized. Honestly, I like my version better for its ease, simplicity, and reproducibility by anyone-ness. I can\u2019t deny that my mom\u2019s version will always be nostalgic for me, but this new version is my go-to, although maybe it\u2019s time to invite my parents over for lunch with a big case of out-of-retirement pre-marinated meat and experience the nostalgia all over again.<\/p>\n

Note: this recipe is for the vermicelli noodle bowl version because that\u2019s how people know it, but my family would just family-style all the components around a tabletop grill and roll everything into salad rolls at the table.<\/p>\n

What is b\u00f2 x\u1ea3 \u1edbt?<\/h3>\n

B\u00f2 x\u1ea3 \u1edbt means beef with lemongrass and chili. It\u2019s a favorite dish in Vietnam and increasingly famous in the rest of the world. It\u2019s charred, smoky, lemongrassy, sweet, and slightly spicy beef, usually served as part of a vermicelli bowl or in a rice plate, or as the central protein of a salad roll party, although that\u2019s usually more done at home. If you can find the DIY salad roll version in a restaurant, you\u2019ve struck gold.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/p>\n

What cut of beef should you use for lemongrass beef?<\/h3>\n

The best cut of beef for b\u00f2 x\u1ea3 \u1edbt is a bit of a contentious debate. My mom would say triple AAA USDA prime ribeye. The internet says flank or skirt steak. I say, you are overcooking the heck out of this, it won\u2019t matter. Get the cheapest steak you would like to get.<\/p>\n

Chill your beef thoroughly before slicing, and don\u2019t be afraid to pop it back in halfway through if it gets warm. You want fairly thin slices, 1\/8″ or less. If you are buying from a butcher or a good grocery store with a meat department, they might do it for you.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/p>\n

Grilling vs Frying<\/h3>\n

In much of Vietnam, the correct way to cook any meat is grilled over hot coals, or these days, gas. I completely agree with this: if you can be bothered to turn on the bbq, you should do so. If you have a tabletop grill<\/a>, these also produce excellent results (and is how we eat it when we have dinner with my parents on their deck).<\/p>\n

But, I\u2019ve also tried frying it literally every way: in cast iron, in stainless steel, in nonstick, and in a wok, and I can confidently say some of the easiest and best results come surprisingly from nonstick. The charring you see in these photos come from a nonstick\u2013except the one below, which is cast iron.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/p>\n

Mortar and Pestle<\/h3>\n

If you have the equipment and willingness, a mortar and pestle goes a long way towards authenticity, both to the Vietnamese-ness of this recipe and to the countryside-ness of it too. Chopping doesn’t release the flavors and juices the way a good crushing in a mortar and pestle does. It’s completely optional, and you can just chop away, but to me, the mortar and pestle makes all the difference.<\/p>\n

\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/p>\n

Spice level<\/h3>\n

The name of this dish includes chili, and central Vietnam is known for some super spicy food, but it doesn\u2019t need to be if you don\u2019t want to fry your tongue. I\u2019ve given the appropriate amounts in Thai chili to make this a pleasant amount of spiciness (my mom\u2019s version would have 4x as many chilies), but if you don\u2019t like spice, swap the Thai chilies out for another red chili of choice, including bell peppers if that is what you like.<\/p>\n

I hope you try this dish, it\u2019s 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, though I\u2019m sure that\u2019s the case for any cuisine.<\/p>\n

\u2014lemongrass is my drug of choice
\nMike<\/p>\n

\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/p>\n

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\"B\u00fan<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/g><\/svg><\/span> <\/a>\n<\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span> <\/a>\n\n

The Best B\u00fan B\u00f2 X\u1ea3 \u1edat - Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Recipe<\/h2>\n\n\n
Smoky umami goodness in a bowl.<\/span><\/div>\n
Serves <\/span>4<\/span><\/div>\n