Grilled Beef in Betel Leaf

Bò Nướng Lá Lốt

Everyone in Australia loves having a barbeque. Its our national favorite past time. We call it a barbie here in Australia cause we like to shorten all our words. We are just a laid back sort of people down under. So as every good Aussie does I like throw the odd barbie every now and then. But obviously my barbies always have an Asian twist to them. No barbie at Saba’s place is ever complete with out a few of these little bad boys being involved.

So what are these little bad boys I speak of?

They are a beef mixture that are wrapped in a betel leaf and grilled. There are a few regional versions of this and some used sliced beef. My version we use ground beef and also ground pork. I find its juicer with the pork in there and much more flavorful. But if you can’t eat pork, omit it and use full beef.

Lets get this show rolling hey?

LETS!

The shopping list

30 large betel leaf

10 soaked bamboo skewers

Filling
400 grams minced beef
100 grams minced pork
4 cloves of garlic finely diced
1 tsp ground toasted rice
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sugar
1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
1/2 Bunch Spring onion bottom white part only finely chopped

(reserve green part for spring onion oil)

1/2 tbs ground chilli sauce
4 coriander root, finely chopped

*If you don’t have ground toasted rice its very easy to make.

Here is a recipe link courtesy of my favorite Thai Blogger

Charinya’s Kitchen

charinyaskitchen.com

Spring onion oil

Reserved spring onion green part. Finely sliced.
1 cup neutral oil
Pinch of salt

Crushed peanuts and sliced chilli to serve

LETS GET A ROLLING HEY?

LETS!

Step 1

Make the filling

Add all the filling Ingredients to a large bowl and mix well to combine.

Set in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour

Step 2

Make the spring onion oil

Add the spring onion and oil to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the spring onion is soft and fragment but not coloured. Add a generous pinch of salt.

Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool

Step 3

Make the rolls

Start by placing one betel leaf shiny side down with the top of the leaf facing towards you. Place a heaped teaspoon of the meat on the leaf and roll away from yourself

(you can tuck the sides in if you like)

Once you get to the end of the roll prick a little hole in the leaf and insert the stem of the leaf to help hold the roll together

Once the rolls are completed skewer 3 to 4 rolls on a soaked bamboo skewer