Mai

This is an MMBonAppétit creation that I call “Cuốn bò quẩy”. It consists of sautéd lemongrass-marinated beef (bò) and crispy dough sticks that are called quẩy (or dầu cháo quẩy) in Vietnamese, all rolled up in rice paper with bún noodles, crunchy veggies, and fragrant herbs; served with a sweet, savory, and tangy sauce.

I was inspired by aspects of 4 different dishes when coming up with these rolls:
The first dish is Nem nướng Nha Trang, from which I took the idea of having something crispy inside a rice paper roll. For nem nướng, the crispiness comes from a piece of rice paper that is rolled up and fried- which is then wrapped up in a fresh piece of rice paper along with the grilled meat patty, fresh veggies, and herbs.
The second dish is Phở cuốn thịt bò, which involves thinly sliced or minced beef marinated with oyster sauce and sometimes lemongrass, sautéd then wrapped in sheets of uncut phở noodles – this is where the beef comes from.
The final 2 dishes are Zhaliang (炸兩), one of my favorite dimsum dishes consisting of rice noodle roll wrapped around a crispy piece of youtiao- and Fan Tuan (饭团) or Ci Fan (粢饭) a sticky rice roll filled with meat and youtiao- these, of course, were where the idea of fried dough stick as a filling came from.

Rather than a filling, quẩy is commonly found in Vietnam served along side noodle soup dishes, particularly phở, and cháo (rice congee). I have found that quẩy in Vietnam, especially in Hà Nội, tend to be smaller, more hollow, and crispier than its Chinese counterpart.

While not at all traditional to Vietnam or China, these rolls are delicious and fun to eat with a bunch of different textures and flavors. I hope you’ll give this a try and let us know what you think!

INGREDIENTS FOR CUỐN BÒ QUẨY

• Beef – Thịt bò: You can use a steak (cut of your choice) or pre-sliced beef for hotpot to make it extra easy.
• Quẩy: Fried dough sticks also known as “dầu cháo quẩy” in Vietnamese and “youtiao” or “yàuhjagwái” in Mandarin and Cantonese. I have found that quẩy in Vietnam, especially in Hà Nội, tend to be smaller, more hollow, and crispier than its Chinese counterpart.
• Bún noodles: Sometimes called “rice vermicelli” in English. We love all our countless types of noodles in Vietnam, but bún is probably used in the most number of different dishes. Traditionally, fresh bún noodles are very slightly fermented and has a very mild tang, but dried packaged bún noodles will not. Bún is often eaten in soup (like Bún măng vịt) or as a base (like Bún bò xào), it is not usually used for stirfries.
• Rice paper – Bánh đa/Bánh tráng: International/Asian/Vietnamese grocery stores may sell different types of rice paper- some are made to be good for frying (for nem rán) and some are made to be eaten “raw” (for gỏi cuốn). The ones made for gỏi cuốn tend to be thinner since they are not meant to withstand being fried in oil and more elastic to hold in more filling. These are the ones you should buy if you can find them.
• Lemongrass – Sả: a plant commonly used in several Southeast cuisines. As the name suggests, it has a distinct citrusy, floral, somewhat herbal scent and taste. It is also used in other Vietnamese recipes such as heo xào sả ớt, hến xúc bánh tráng, and bún bò xào.
• Lettuce – Rau xà lách
• Cucumber – Dưa chuột/dưa leo
• Carrot – Cà rốt
• Vietnamese herbs – Rau sống of your choice (Viet/Thai basil, purple perilla, cilantro, etc.)
• Garlic – Tỏi
• Oyster sauce – Dầu hào/hàu: a thick dark brown condiment made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt and water. It is sweet, savory, umami and can add a lot of depth to a dish. It is commonly used in Chinese, Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, and Khmer cuisine. Click here for more recipes with oyster sauce.
• Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• White granulated sugar – Đường cát trắng
• Rice or white vinegar – Giấm gạo hoặc giấm trắng

DIRECTIONS FOR CUỐN BÒ QUẨY

1. If using a steak, slice beef thinly.
   TIP: To help cut the slices as thin as possible, place the steak on a plate or baking tray and let it sit in the freezer for 30 minutes. This firms up the meat and makes it easier.
2. Mince garlic and lemongrass (if using fresh stalk).
3. To a bowl, add the sliced beef and all the marinade ingredients in the Beef section.
   Mix well so that all the slices are coated and let marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cook bún noodles according to package instructions until tender, then rinse under cold running water to remove extra starch and stop them from cooking. Strain and set aside.
5. Cut cucumber into matchsticks. I recommend cutting into diagonal slices, then cutting those slices into matchsticks.
6. Peel and julienne carrots.
7. Separate lettuce into individual leaves, rinse and shake off water.
8. Prepare other herbs. For ones with large leaves like Viet/Thai basil and perilla, pinch off the leaves and discard stems. With smaller ones like cilantro, pinch off the tougher stem parts. Rinse and shake off excess water.
9. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the Sauce. I like adding a few bits of julienned carrots.
10. To a frying pan/pot, add a 2 cm layer of oil. Heat until oil is about 170°C/350°F.
11. If your quẩy/youtiao sticks come still attached in pairs, separate them into individual pieces.
12. Add the quẩy pieces to the oil (you may need to cut them in half to fit) and fry until golden on all sides- about 2-3 minutes.
13. Place on a plate lined with paper towel.
14. In a small pan, heat a tablespoon of neutral oil on medium. Add the beef to the pan and sauté until no longer pink.
15. I recommend setting all the ingredients on the table so you can roll and eat as you go- this helps the quẩy remain crispy.
16. To assemble the rolls:
    Dip a piece of rice paper in room-temperature water, shake off any excess water, and place on a cutting board or plate.
    Add herbs and a piece of lettuce towards the bottom 3rd of the rice paper, leaving 4-5cm spaces on the left and right side of the rice paper.
    Add some bún noodles, a few pieces of cucumber, and some julienned carrots.
    Add a few pieces of beef on top of the noodles/veggies.
    Place a piece of quẩy on top of the beef – you may need to trim the dough stick so it is not longer than the other fillings.
    Fold in the left and right side of the rice paper towards the center, making sure the two sides form two parallel lines (so that the top and bottom flaps are even).
    Lift up the bottom flap of the rice paper and pull it up over the fillings.
    Roll everything towards the top, tucking and pulling the roll towards yourself to ensure it is rolled tightly.
17. Serve with the dipping sauce.

RECIPE VIDEO

Cuốn bò quẩy • Beef and fried dough stick rolls

Course: Appetizer, MainCuisine: Vietnamese, ChineseDifficulty: Easy

Makes

8

rolls (see Notes)

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

0

minutes

Inspired by several Vietnamese and Chinese dishes: rice paper rolls filled with lemongrass-marinated beef, crispy fried dough stick, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, and herbs. Served with a sweet, tangy, savory sauce.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 8 8 rice paper sheets (see Notes)

• Beef

• 200 g 200 beef steak (cut of your choice) or pre-sliced beef for hotpot

• 1 tbsp 1 lemongrass (fresh stalk or frozen pre-minced)

• 5 g 5 garlic

• 1 tbsp 1 oyster sauce

• 2 tsp 2 fish sauce

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 sugar

• Quẩy

• 8 pieces 8 quẩy (~10cm length)

• Other fillings

• 1/2 1/2 cucumber

• 1/2 1/2 carrot

• 120 g 120 bún noodles

• 8 8 lettuce leaves

• Vietnamese herbs of your choice (Viet/Thai basil, purple perilla, cilantro, etc.)

• Sauce

• 2 tsp 2 fish sauce

• 1 tsp 1 sugar

• 1 tsp 1 rice or white vinegar

• 3 tbsp 3 water

Directions

• If using a steak, slice beef thinly.
  TIP: To help cut the slices as thin as possible, place the steak on a plate or baking tray and let it sit in the freezer for 30 minutes. This firms up the meat and makes it easier.
• Mince garlic and lemongrass (if using fresh stalk).
• To a bowl, add the sliced beef and all the marinade ingredients in the Beef section.
  Mix well so that all the slices are coated and let marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Cook bún noodles according to package instructions until tender, then rinse under cold running water to remove extra starch and stop them from cooking. Strain and set aside.
• Cut cucumber into matchsticks. I recommend cutting into diagonal slices, then cutting those slices into matchsticks.
• Peel and julienne carrots.
• Separate lettuce into individual leaves, rinse and shake off water.
• Prepare other herbs. For ones with large leaves like Viet/Thai basil and perilla, pinch off the leaves and discard stems. With smaller ones like cilantro, pinch off the tougher stem parts. Rinse and shake off excess water.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the Sauce. I like adding a few bits of julienned carrots.
• To a frying pan/pot, add a 2 cm layer of oil. Heat until oil is about 170°C/350°F.
• If your quẩy/youtiao sticks come still attached in pairs, separate them into individual pieces.
• Add the quẩy pieces to the oil (you may need to cut them in half to fit) and fry until golden on all sides- about 2-3 minutes.
• Place on a plate lined with paper towel.
• In a small pan, heat a tablespoon of neutral oil on medium. Add the beef to the pan and sauté until no longer pink.
• I recommend setting all the ingredients on the table so you can roll and eat as you go- this helps the quẩy remain crispy.
• To assemble the rolls:
  Dip a piece of rice paper in room-temperature water, shake off any excess water, and place on a cutting board or plate.
  Add herbs and a piece of lettuce towards the bottom 3rd of the rice paper, leaving 4-5cm spaces on the left and right side of the rice paper.
  Add some bún noodles, a few pieces of cucumber, and some julienned carrots.
  Add a few pieces of beef on top of the noodles/veggies.
  Place a piece of quẩy on top of the beef – you may need to trim the dough stick so it is not longer than the other fillings.
  Fold in the left and right side of the rice paper towards the center, making sure the two sides form two parallel lines (so that the top and bottom flaps are even).
  Lift up the bottom flap of the rice paper and pull it up over the fillings.
  Roll everything towards the top, tucking and pulling the roll towards yourself to ensure it is rolled tightly.
• Serve with the dipping sauce.

Notes

• Quantities: Since the size of rice paper you can buy varies, the size and therefore number of rolls you can make will vary. These quantities are based on 25-cm rice paper sheets.
• Rice paper: International/Asian/Vietnamese grocery stores may sell different types of rice paper- some are made to be good for frying (for nem rán) and some are made to be eaten “raw” (for gỏi cuốn). The ones made for gỏi cuốn tend to be thinner since they are not meant to withstand being fried in oil and more elastic to hold in more filling. These are the ones you should buy if you can find them.

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