← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 500 g sirloin, rump or flank steak, sliced 3 mm thin against the grain
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Oyster sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Lemongrass, very finely minced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 2 tbsp oil, divided
• 1 Onion, cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp Fish sauce
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 120 ml warm water
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 Bird's eye chilli, sliced
• 400 g Rice vermicelli
• 1 Lettuce, shredded
• 1 Cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 150 g Bean sprouts
• 1 bunch Mint
• 1 bunch Thai basil
• 4 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
• 4 tbsp Crispy fried shallots

Method

1. Mix the beef with the fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, lemongrass, garlic and pepper. Leave for 15 min.
2. For the nước chấm, stir the sugar into the warm water until dissolved, then add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and chilli. Taste: sweet, sour and salty should all be there.
3. Cook the noodles according to the packet, rinse under cold water and drain very well. Divide the lettuce, cucumber, sprouts, herbs and noodles between four big bowls.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Sear the beef in two batches for 1–2 minutes each, until browned outside and still pink inside. Set aside.
5. Add the remaining oil and stir-fry the onion for 2 min until charred at the edges. Return the beef and its juices and toss for 30 seconds.
6. Pile the hot beef on the noodles, scatter with peanuts and fried shallots and pour over the nước chấm. Toss everything together at the table.

Tips

• Oyster sauce contains wheat; leave it out (add a pinch more sugar) to keep the dish gluten-free.
• Contains peanuts; leave them off for nut allergies.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Vicky Pham Delightful Plate Marion's Kitchen