Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Marinate the beef: in a bowl, toss the sliced beef with the minced lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Make the nuoc cham: stir the sugar into the warm water until it dissolves, then add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili. Taste and adjust: it should be salty, sweet, and sour in that order.
- Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package directions, usually 3 to 4 minutes in boiling water. Drain, rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again very well.
- Prepare the vegetables: shred the lettuce, julienne the cucumber and carrots, rinse the bean sprouts, and pick the herb leaves.
- If using spring rolls, bake or air-fry them until crisp, then slice each one in half.
- Sear the beef: heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it just smokes. Sear the beef in two batches, 1 to 2 minutes per batch, until browned at the edges but still tender. Do not crowd the pan.
- Assemble the bowls: divide the lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and bean sprouts among 4 large bowls. Top with the vermicelli, then the hot beef and spring rolls if using.
- Finish each bowl with a generous scatter of herbs, crushed peanuts, and fried shallots. Serve with the nuoc cham on the side and pour 3 to 4 tablespoons over each bowl at the table.
Nutrition
Notes
The bowl itself is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free: rice noodles, pure fish sauce, vegetables, and peanuts. If you add store-bought spring rolls, check their label. The nuoc cham keeps for a week in a jar in the refrigerator. To slice the beef paper thin, firm it up in the freezer for 20 minutes first.
