Chili and Honey-Cured Dried Beef Recipe

When it comes to ingredients, the Vietnamese will dry almost anything - fish, chilies, mushrooms, snake, herbs, mangoes, pigs' ears and beef are just some of them. Drying is an ancient method of preserving food, which also intensifies the flavor and potency of most ingredients. Some dried goods are destined for stews, soups and medicinal purposes, whereas others are just for chewing on as a snack. You will need a few days to dry the beef in this recipe. If you are lucky this can be done under the sun, otherwise you will need to leave it in the refrigerator.

Ingredients : Serves 4

450 g

2 stalks

2 cloves

2

30-45 ml

15 ml

30 ml

Beef sirloin

Lemon grass, trimmed and chopped

Garlic, chopped

Dried Serrano chilies, seeded and chopped

Honey

Nuoc mam

Soy sauce

Rice wrappers, fresh herbs and dipping sauce, to serve (optional)

• Trim the beef and cut it against the grain into thin, rectangular slices, then set aside.

• Using a mortar and pestle, grind the lemon grass, garlic and chilies to a paste. Stir in the honey, nuoc mam and soy sauce.

• Put the beef into a bowl, tip in the paste and rub it into the meat. Spread out the meat on a wire rack and place it in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 2 days.

• Cook the dried beef on the barbecue or under a conventional grill (broiler), and serve it as a snack on its own or with rice wrappers, fresh herbs and a dipping sauce.