This Little Pig has spent the last few days with it’s trotters in the pool and an iced drink in hand or gently patting the aircon and murmuring compliments to it about what a great job it does. Even a hot and sweaty piglet must eat however and for this issue, This Little Pig turns to it’s ultimate comfort food for hot weather. For some reason This Little Pig likens this dish to the Vietnamese version of spaghetti in terms of taste and happiness. It’s fun to eat, it’s satisfying and the fresh sweet, sour and tangy combination of flavours will have you slurping to way past the point of full.
Drag yourself from your position in front of the air conditioner and whip up this absolute delightful dinner. You’ll be back in front of the aircon in no time, with a very full and satisfied belly. Oink!
Bun Bo Xao (Crunchy Vermicelli Salad with Sesame & Ginger Beef)
Prep Time: 20 Mins. Cooking Time: 12 Mins.
Feeds: 4 Hungry Piglets.
Ingredients for Amazing-ness:
Dipping Sauce:
2 x Tbs Caster Sugar
3 x Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
1 x Garlic Clove
1 x Red Chilli
2 x Tbs Fish Sauce
2 x Limes
1 x Ginger 'Thumb' (around 2 cm)
Beef Marinade:
2 x Tbs Soy
2 x Tbs Fish Sauce
2 x Tbs Sesame oil
2 x Tbs Honey
1 x Tbs Caster Sugar
2 x Garlic Cloves
The Rest:
1 x Tbs Peanut Oil
500g x Rump Steak
2 x Lebanese Cucumbers
8 x Cos Lettuce Leaves
1 x Red Shallot
100g x Bean Shoots
1 x Mint Bunch
1 x Coriander Bunch
250g x Vermicelli Noodles
¼ x Cup Chopped Peanuts
How to Make Amazing-ness:
- Boil Kettle and cook your vermicelli noodle per packet instructions, then drain and rinse in cold water to stop your noodles becoming soggy, unattractive and having poor social skills.
- Using a sharp knife (or you can get your butcher to do this for you) slice your rump steak into very thin slices (the thinner the better).
- Finely dice your garlic cloves (2 cloves) and mix together with the ingredients of your beef marinade: soy (2 Tbs), fish sauce (2 Tbs), Sesame Oil (2 Tbs), Honey (2 Tbs), Caster Sugar (1 Tbs).
- Massage this into the beef and then set aside to rest and relax.
- Peel and very finely dice your ginger (2 cm) and other garlic (1 clove).
- Remove seeds of your red chilli and then finely dice and mix in a bowl with your diced garlic and dipping sauce ingredients: caster sugar, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce (2 Tbs each) and juice of 2 limes. Set aside.
- Slice your Lebanese cucumbers into very thin strips, finely slice your lettuce leaves, finely dice your red shallot and roughly chop your mint and coriander leaves.
- Heat your peanut oil (1 Tbs) until hot to trot in a wok and then sear your beef strips until brown on the outside and pink in the middle (this should only take about a minute if you have cut the beef thin enough).
- Remove from the pan and place in a bowl (we don't want him overcooking one tiny bit).
- To serve: place your noodles in the bottom of each person's bowl, top with your salad and herbs, then the seared beef and drizzle over your dipping sauce. Finish with a generous scattering of peanuts.
- You can also serve all the ingredients in bowls on the table and allow the guests to make up their own salad.
- This is DIVINE piglets, absolutely divine. Oink.
