Vietnamese Sugar Cured Beef Salad Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine sugar, rice vinegar and lime juice and stir to dissolve. Add fish sauce, garlic, ginger, chiles and 1/2 cup water and stir together. Let sit for 15 minutes for flavors to meld. (May be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.)
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add rice noodles, stir and turn off heat. Let noodles soften (5 to 8 minutes, depending on brand), then drain and rinse with cold water. Leave in colander at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine beef, fish sauce, sugar, garlic and lemon grass in a bowl. Massage seasoning into beef and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Line a serving bowl or four individual large wide soup bowls with a few lettuce leaves and top with noodles.
• Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. When wok is nearly smoking, add beef and quickly stir-fry until lightly browned and just cooked, about 2 minutes. Work in batches if necessary so meat browns and doesn't steam. (If you do not have a wok, you may use a cast iron skillet and work in batches.)
• Top noodles with cooked beef, scallions, carrot, cucumber and daikon. Sprinkle with herbs, crushed peanuts and fried shallots (add sprouts if using). Drizzle lightly with dipping sauce and pass remaining sauce at table.

Steps:

• Remove any visible fat from meat.
• Marinade meat in sherry for 10 minutes.
• Remove beef from sherry marinade.
• Crush the sugar, coriander seeds, salt and white peppercorns in a mortar and pestle, then coat marinated beef.
• Lay a double layer of plastic wrap out on a flat surface.
• Wrap beef tightly in wrap with sugar and salt and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, remove the wrap and wipe off the sugar and salt with some paper towel.
• You can rinse this off if desired under water.
• Thinly slice beef and serve over Vietnamese salad then drizzle with dressing.
• Dressing: Combine dressing ingredients and pour half over the cucumber, bean sprouts and herbs and toss well.
• Serve on a bed of cooked and drained vermicelli topped with combined cucumber, sprouts and herbs, then layer with sugar-cured beef and extra dressing.

Steps:

• Halve cucumber lengthwise, then slice diagonally 1/4 inch thick.
• Stir together lime juice, water, fish sauce, sugar, red-pepper flakes, and shallot in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
• Arrange pineapple and cucumber on a platter and drizzle with some of dressing. Drape roast beef slices on top and arrange mint alongside. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Steps:

• Dry-fry the beef in a frying pan until nicely browned and starting to crisp, then pour off any fat. Add the chopped chilli and garlic, and fry for a few more mins. Add the oyster sauce and lime juice, and cook for another 5 mins until sticky.
• To assemble the salad, divide the rice noodles between bowls, top with the beef, then place a handful of carrot, beansprouts and mint leaves around each bowl. Sprinkle with peanuts and the sliced chilli. Before eating, toss all the ingredients together.