Grilled Dried Beef (Thit Bo Kho)
Introduction
Here's a Vietnamese version of beef "jerky" made with red chilies and
honey or sugar that sounds like it's off in the direction of your Chinese Dried
Fried Beef recipe.
This Vietnamese-style "beef Jerky" is delicious served with drinks.
The Vietnamese enjoy eating it as a snack with glutinous rice. It is also an
ingredient in Green Papaya Salad.
Ingredients
1 lb Lean bottom round or sirloin, in one piece, about 6 inches in Diameter
2 Stalks fresh lemon grass, or 2 tablespoons dried lemon grass
2 sm Red chile peppers, seeded
2 1/2 tb Sugar or honey
1 tb Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
3 tb Light soy sauce
Method
- Cut the beef across the grain onto very thin 3 by 3 inch slices. If you
are using fresh lemon grass, discard the outer leaves and upper half of the
stalk. Cut into thin slices and finely chop. If you are using dried lemon
grass, soak in warm water for 1 hour. Drain and finely chop.
- Combine the chiles and sugar in a mortar and pestle and pound to a fine
paste.
- Add the chopped lemon grass, fish sauce and soy sauce and stir to blend.
(If using a blender, combine all of these and blend to a very fine paste.)
Spread the paste over the beef pieces to coat both sides. Let marinate for
30 minutes.
- Spread out each slice of marinated beef on a large, flat wire rack or
baking sheet. Let stand in the sun until both sides are completely dried,
about 12 hours. (You can also place a rack on a jelly roll pan and let the
beef dry in the refrigerator for 2 days.)
- Grill the beef over a medium charcoal fire or transfer the rack from the
refrigerator to the middle of a preheated 400F oven and bake until brown and
crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Serve with glutinous rice.
- NOTE: After cooking, the meat may be kept for up to 1 week in a covered
jar at room temperature.
Serving
Serves 4 people
Source: Orientalfood.com