Lemongrass Beef Rolls with Rice Noodles

These grilled beef lettuce wraps are a meaty, crunchy, brightly flavored handheld meal.

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 6

These flavorful grilled beef lettuce wraps combine rice noodles, crisp vegetables, and lemongrass-scented sirloin steak. Cookbook author Steven Raichlen was inspired by the Vietnamese dish bun bo xao: a composed salad of stir-fried beef, delicate vermicelli, crunchy vegetables, lots of fresh herbs, and tart, savory nuoc cham. Here, the barbecue expert recommends grilling the beef instead — slicing it thin, threading it onto skewers, and just barely setting it on the fire for a perfect medium-rare.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the best lettuce for lettuce wraps, and how should you cut it?

  For lettuce wraps, you'll want a lettuce that is sturdy (but not in a way that overpowers what's inside) and has leaves big enough to bundle up a nice mix of ingredients. Here, we recommend Boston lettuce, which is essentially identical to bibb lettuce or butter lettuce, which has large, round leaves that are tender without being too delicate (meaning they will be easy to roll and fold). If you want a bit more crunch, romaine would be a good alternative. There's no cutting required — you'll want to keep the leaves whole for maximum capacity. To prep the lettuce, simply separate the leaves from the base of the head and wash them thoroughly.

• What other dishes go well with these beef lettuce wraps?

  With meat, noodles, and lots of vegetables, these lemongrass beef rolls could easily make a meal on their own. But if you'd like to round out the table, try serving them alongside steamed or sauteed vegetables (bok choy, eggplant, water spinach) and of course, white rice. Finish the meal with a dessert like chè khúc bach or coconut sticky rice with banana or mango.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Raichlen recommends using sirloin steak (aka bottom sirloin), a more affordable cut of beef that can be on the chewy side when handled incorrectly, but becomes more tender when thinly sliced against the grain. Skirt steak or flatiron would also work well here — or rib eye, if you want a more “premium” cut that’s a little fattier.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (1 inch thick), sliced across the grain 1/8 inch thick

• 2 stalks of fresh lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, chopped

• 2 large shallots, chopped

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 cup fish sauce

• Vegetable oil

• 1 medium carrot, sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler and cut into slivers

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 5 jalapeños, thinly sliced

• 1/4 pound rice vermicelli

• 3 tablespoons chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

• One large handful each of basil, mint, and cilantro

• 1 1/2 cups mung bean sprouts

• 1 large head of Boston lettuce, separated into leaves

Directions

1. Soak 2 dozen 8-inch bamboo skewers in warm water for 30 minutes. Thread the steak onto the skewers and place on a large baking sheet.

2. In a food processor, combine the lemongrass, shallots, two-thirds of the garlic, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the coriander and pepper. Pulse until a smooth paste forms. With the machine on, add 3 tablespoons of the fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of oil. Brush the beef with the marinade and let stand for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, on a cutting board, use the side of a large knife to mash the remaining garlic and 3 tablespoons of sugar to a paste. In a small bowl, toss the garlic paste with the carrot slivers and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining 5 tablespoons of fish sauce, the lemon juice, rice vinegar, water, and one-third of the jalapeños.

4. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the rice noodles until just wilted, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well, then transfer to a platter.

5. Light a grill. Lightly oil the grate. Grill the beef skewers over a medium-hot fire for 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare meat. Arrange the skewers over the noodles and sprinkle with the peanuts. Serve with the dipping sauce, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lettuce, and the remaining two-thirds of the jalapeños so your guests can make their own bundles.

Originally appeared: June 2002