Bo La Lot
Vietnamese Grilled Beef in Lot Leaves
Bo Nuong La Lot is a Southern Vietnamese dish of marinated ground beef wrapped in a Lot leaves then charcoal grilled.
The wrapped beef can either be served in a rice noodle bowl with chopped lettuce, assorted Vietnamese herbs, roasted peanuts, and a sweet and savory dipping sauce on the side. It can be served with rice paper for a self - assembly style.
For the more adventurous, serve with a fermented dipping sauce instead, which is my absolute sauce for this.
WHAT IS LOT LEAVES?
A lolot leaf is about the size of your hand. It's heart-shaped with a shiny/glossy side and a matte side. When stuffing it with fillings, put the filling on the matte side so that the glossy side faces outward for a beautiful presentation. Once cooked, it has a slightly herbal and minty flavor.
DON'T MISUNDERSTAND LOT LEAVE IS BETEL LEAVE
Ingredients
1/2 kg ground fatty beef
* 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
* 2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass
* 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons sugar / honey
* 1 spoon fish sauce
* 1 spoon oyster sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
* 2 tablespoons sesame oil
* 50 Lot leaves
PREPARATION
1. Rinse the leaves thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Leave a small piece of stem intact to secure the rolls. Alternatively, use a toothpick for each roll or long skewers to secure a bunch at a time.
2. In a large bowl, mix together ground beef with shallots, garlic, black pepper, honey, lemongrass, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chicken powder.
3. Lay leaf flat with glossy side face down and narrow end with bottom. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the leave, more or less depending on the size of the leaf. Fold the narrow end over the filling, then carefully roll up. Pierce the stem into the roll to prevent it from unraveling. If the stem is too flimsy, pierce a hole in the roll with a small knife then insert the stem. Lay roll flat with stem - side down. Repeat the process with the remaining leaves and beef mixture.
4. Grill the rolls to get a smokey flavor or pan fry with a bit of vegetable oil for about 2 minutes per side.
5. Serve the rolls in a bowl with thin rice noodle, chopped lettuce, assorted Vietnamese herbs, and topped with roasted peanuts and a Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce. For the more adventurous, servie with an alternative Vietnamese fermented anchovy dipping sauce. You can also serve the rolls with rice paper on the side for a more self-assembly dish.
HOW TO MAKE DIPPING FISH SAUCE
Use a mortar and pestle to crush the combination of 2 tablespoons sugar, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 large chilli to paste.
squeeze a piece of lime, mix well then add 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 4 tablespoons water. Adjust to your taste.
Enjoy!