Shortcut Bun Bo Hue
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 634
- Total Fat
- 20
- Saturated Fat
- 3
- Carbohydrates
- 91
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 10
- Protein
- 24
- Cholesterol
- 39
- Sodium
- 1743
- Total: 50 min
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 medium shallots, quartered
4 stalks lemongrass
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons fish sauce, or more to taste
4 1/2 teaspoons sugar, plus more to taste
Kosher salt
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
12 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
8 ounces boneless top blade steak, connective tissue removed, meat sliced thinly across the grain
1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced and soaked in ice water for 20 minutes
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Serving suggestions: bean sprouts, mint leaves, basil leaves, thinly sliced red cabbage, lime wedges
Directions
- Cut the tops off the lemongrass stalks, about 6 inches from the base. Bruise the tops with something heavy, like a meat mallet, and reserve for the broth. Peel off 2 or 3 of the woody outer layers from the base stalks until you reach the smoother, more tender core. Roughly chop the stalks and put in a food processor along with the garlic and shallots. Pulse about 20 times until everything is finely chopped, but not a paste.
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the chopped lemongrass mixture and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and stir for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 4 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly, a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail and the oil is starting to separate from the solids. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the lemongrass mixture from the pan and reserve.
- Add the beef broth, 4 cups of water, and the bruised lemongrass tops to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until it tastes like lemongrass, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the vermicelli noodles. Cook, stirring periodically, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain very well and divide among 4 large soup bowls.
- Add the remaining tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 3/4 teaspoon salt to the beef broth. Remove the lemongrass tops. Add the steak slices and gently simmer until no longer pink, about 2 minutes.
- Top each bowl with slices of cooked beef, the white onion and cilantro. Pour hot broth into the bowls to completely cover the noodles.
- Serve with the reserved lemongrass-chile mixture and suggested garnishes on the side.