Easy, Breezy, Beautiful: Asian Food

Well, it's getting to be that time, during the dog days of summer, when the temperature drops below 350, and it's worthwile to get grilling again. Instead of the usual barbecue fare (not that there's anything wrong with that), I thought I'd share a recipe that's very simple, yet very exotic at the same time. I first encountered this at my best friend's place in North Carolina. My best friend's wife is Vietnamese, so a lot of Vietnamese food is made down there. The dish is called Bún Thịt Nướng, and while it is usually made with pork, I do it with beef because I think it's a better flavour (ingredients are listed at the end of this article).

The first step to preparing Bún Thịt Nướng, is to have your best friend's wife and her mother argue for several hours about how the dish should be made. You see, we have a "two Vietnamese/three opinions" scenario here.

Once that's done, you will want to cut the beef roast into one inch strips, mix them with the onion, garlic, and marinade, toss everything to ensure an even coating, and let the beef marinate overnight in the fridge.

The next day, you'll need to prepare a few things before the meat is grilled. First, you'll want some rice noodles (the bún in the name of this dish refers to a form of rice vermicelli). These noodles will be boiled like normal pasta, then run under cold water to chill them (in this dish, only the beef is hot). If you'd like, you can roll the noodles into little "nests" to make them easier to take off the serving platter.

You'll also want some salad fixings. This is pretty flexible, and you can put whatever you'd like in there. I usually use cucumber, carrots, and basil (if you can get it, Thai Basil is authentic to the dish, but if not, regular Italian Basil will also work). Skewer the meat on some wooden or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for some time (the soaking ensures that the skewer will not catch fire). When skewering the meat, put some of the onion pieces onto the skewers as well. Grill the meat and onion skewers until the meat is done (approximately eight minutes per side over high heat).

Once the meat is done, bring everything to the table, and make a bowl for yourself. Use some rice noodles, salad fixings, deskewer your desired amount of beef and onions, and top the whole thing with the dressing (instructions are below). It's light, yet filling, and perfect for this time of year. This dish also works well for hot weather, as it's surprisingly refreshing.

For this recipe, you will need:

• 3 Lbs Beef (I use a mix of London Broil & Chuck Roasts)
  
• Onions (cut into chunks large enough to be skewered)
  
• Garlic (To Taste, Minced)
  

• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  
• 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  
• 1/4 Cup Sugar, Dissolved in 1/2 Cup of Water
  

The dressing will be made from nước mắm, which is a Vietnamese fish sauce (any fish sauce will do, and they're usually sold in the international aisle of your local supermarket). Most fish sauces are made from anchovies, but, it's possible that some of them are made from shellfish. If you're allergic to shellfish, read the ingredients. When finished, this sauce will not taste fishy at all, it will be a perfect balance of sweet, savoury, salty, and spicy.

To make this dressing, mix the following ingredients together:

• 1 Cup Water
  
• 1/4 Cup nước mắm (fish sauce)
  
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
  
• 2 Tsp Chili Garlic Sauce (found in the Asian Food section of your supermarket - I use Lee Kum Kee brand)
  

Wine Pairing:

I would pair this dish with a crisp refreshing white wine. A nice Riesling would go very well, as would a good Spanish Albarino.