Bo La Lot

Translated as: "Ground Beef Wrapped in Betel Leaves"

All beef entrees are, by far, the most luxurious in Vietnamese cuisine. When we lived in Vietnam, it is a big treat when we have beef for dinner. Because it is such a luxury, we don't get to have it often and when we do, we go all out! And by going all out, I mean, when we have beef, we have seven courses of beef, or "bo bay mon" in Vietnamese! Today, I'm introducing the first of the seven beef courses, bo la lot, literally translated as ground beef wrapped in betel leaves. You can find betel leaves in most Asian grocery stores. If not, you can always substitute with grape leaves. This entree can be served with noodles, or bun, but is more commonly served as an appetizer with two types of fish dipping sauce: mam nem or nuoc mam cham. Separate recipes for those will be posted soon!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
(for approximately 15 rolls)

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• 2 tablespoon of chopped lemon grass
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground buoillon salt (Knorr)
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 package of fresh betel leaves
• 4 tablespoons of scallion oil (heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil, remove from heat and add finely chopped scallions)
• kabob sticks (as needed)
• dipping sauce (mam nem or nuoc mam cham)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine meat with garlic, shallots, lemongrass, curry, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, Knorr, and salt. Mix well and set aside in fridge while the leaves are being prepared.

2. Detach the leaves from their stems. Rinse well and set aside to drain.

3. Place the leaves with the glossy side up. Place approximately 1 tablespoon full of meat near the base of the leave (depending on the size of the leave) and roll accordingly.

4. Insert a kabob stick through the roll. Make sure to push the stick through at the apex of the roll to hold the roll together.


5. Grill the rolls using a skewer or a grilling basket for about 6-8 minutes. As soon as the rolls are placed on the skillet, add droplets of the shallot on top of the rolls to make sure the meat aren't dried up while being grilled. Remember to turn a few times to prevent the leaves from burning.

My thoughts: Bo la lot was, indeed, delicious! Definitely a big success for this amateur chef! It is best to serve the rolls right off the grill though, because, the meat dried up as it cools down. I had some leftover the next day but ended up throwing them out because they were too dry.