Culinary Vietnam (13 page)

2 to 3 tablespoons dry red chile flakes

1 tablespoon shrimp sauce (optional)

2 tablespoons raw or brown sugar

Meatballs

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 clove garlic, minced

1 scallion, minced

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon rice flour or dry breadcrumbs

2 pounds fat rice noodles or rice vermicelli cooked al dente, strained, and then rinsed in cool water

1/3 cup chopped cilantro or Vietnamese coriander

1 white onion, peeled and thinly sliced

3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Garnishes

Lime wedges

Fresh mint, Vietnamese coriander, cilantro, Asian basil (as available)

Lettuce or cabbage, sliced into thin strips

Bean sprouts (optional)

Thinly sliced serrano or Thai chiles

Chile sauce

Pickled garlic and chiles

Serves 8

Although the title of this dish, Bun Bo, implies that it is made with only beef, it actually contains pork and sometimes pork meatballs as well. Similar to Pho and served throughout the country, this meal-in-a-bowl soup is usually made with fat round noodles, and is a bit spicier and heartier with its characteristic, tiny reddish droplets of annatto and chile-tinged meat fat floating on the surface. This dish requires both a spoon and a set of chopsticks to enjoy its many components. The meatballs are optional, but they add another texture and flavor dimension. If you choose to omit them, you may want to use a bit more beef and pork.

1
Place the beef bones, pork leg, and beef shank or brisket in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain immediately, and then rinse the meat and bones in cool water; drain and set aside. Clean the pot thoroughly.

2
Preheat the pot, add all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and then the onion, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the annatto seeds and stir until a nice amount of color is released. Season the beef and pork with salt and pepper, and brown slightly in the oil. Add the water, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and skim the surface for any scum that has accumulated. Lightly crush 3 of the lemongrass stalks, cut them into 2-inch segments, and add them to the stock along with 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

3
Remove the pork leg from the broth and immerse in cold water for 10 minutes to cool and preserve the color; drain and set aside. Continue simmering the broth for another hour. Remove the beef from the pot and immerse in cold water for 10 minutes to cool and preserve the color; drain and set aside.

4
Chop the remaining lemongrass finely and gently heat in the remaining oil along with the shallot, garlic, and chile flakes for about 5 minutes. Add this to the broth along with the shrimp sauce, if using, remaining fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more and turn off the heat; after about 20 minutes, skim off any excess fat on the surface of the broth. Strain and reheat when ready to serve.

5
In the meantime, mix together all of the meatball ingredients except the oil and form into 1-inch balls. Heat the oil in a deep skillet and lightly brown the meatballs. Add about 3 cups of the finished broth to the skillet and bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer for 15 minutes, and then remove the meatballs. (The broth may be strained through a cheesecloth and returned to the main pot after cooking the meatballs.)
6
Remove the excess fat and skin from the pork leg, then cut the pork and the beef into thin bite-size slices.

7
Reheat the noodles in a pot of boiling water and place a portion in each bowl. Heat the meat slices and the meatballs by dipping them in the hot broth using a strainer. Place some of the meat slices and several meatballs on top of the noodles, then add some of the herbs, onion, and scallions to each bowl. Ladle about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of broth in each bowl and serve immediately, along with the garnishes.

The food of Vietnam reflects the history, climate, and geography of the country as well as the spirit of the populace.

Sour Soup with Fish

Canh Ca Chua

1-1/2 to 2 pounds fresh fish fillets (catfish, bass, snapper, halibut, grouper, etc.), cut into 1-inch chunks

3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided

1 large or 2 medium shallots, minced

8 cups fish stock, chicken stock, or water

1 ounce tamarind pulp, dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water and strained (reserve water)

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 stalks lemongrass, peeled, lightly crushed, and cut into 2-inch sections

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 ounces cooked baby shrimp

1 cup diced pineapple

1 to 2 red serrano or Thai chiles, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 to 3 okra pods, stems removed and sliced into quarters lengthwise

1 tomato, sliced into 8 wedges

2 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces diagonally

1/3 cup mixed cilantro and mint leaves, coarsely chopped

Lime wedges

Serves 4 to 5 as a main dish or 6 to 8 as part of a larger meal

Sour soups are often part of a multicourse Vietnamese meal on special occasions, but they are also hearty enough to serve as a lunch or light supper entree. My friend Khai Dzoan, chef at his mother’s Cam Van Dzoan restaurant in Saigon, taught me this recipe. Not really that sour but tangy from tamarind, the soup is loaded with flavors from pineapple, chiles, lemongrass, herbs, shrimp, and fresh fish. Khai’s recipe also called for taro stem, but I have omitted that, as it is a difficult find in the West. Serve with steamed rice or add noodles for a full meal.

1
Marinate the fish pieces in 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce and the shallots. Place the stock in a large pot with the tamarind water, garlic, lemongrass, sugar, remaining fish sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lemongrass. Add the fish, shrimp, pineapple, chiles, bell pepper, and okra, and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish is almost done. Add the tomato and scallions, and simmer another 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the herbs and lime wedges.

Beef Dishes

Beef in Vietnam, another meat that plays an important role in the cuisine of that country, is usually grass-fed with the distinctive flavor that comes with that sort of feeding. Grass-fed beef is usually not as tender, especially since it is not typically aged, so most Vietnamese recipes for beef call for it to be thinly sliced before or after it is cooked to make it easier to chew. For the most authentic taste, look for grass-fed beef where you can, but grain-fed varieties will also work fine.