A simple take on Vietnamese rice paper rolls for a satisfying meal
Beef Summer Rolls
Beef summer rolls also known as salad rolls or spring rolls are the Vietnamese dish, gỏi cuốn. Gỏi cuốn are rice paper rolls filled with some type of protein and various herbs and vegetables. These rolls are really customizable, because they can be filled with virtually whatever you want. For my recipe, I chose beef, because I wanted to tie in the flavors of another Vietnamese dish, shaking beef. I also chose to use cilantro and Romaine lettuce in my rolls, because these greens will contrast the intense beef flavor in this dish.
For the dipping sauce, I chose Nước chấm. Nước chấm is Vietnamese dipping sauce traditionally made with whole garlic, palm sugar, bird's eye chilies, and lime juice that is muddled together in a mortar and pestle until it is a paste. Then fish sauce is added to loosen up the paste and warm water is added to release the flavors. The sauce is a balance of sweet, spicy, tangy and savory. In my recipe to make the process easier, I used chopped garlic and chili paste to simulate the act of grinding the ingredients. For my sauce to be ideal, it should be mixed and then set aside for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors marry.
The Ingredients
Marinade:
1.5-2 lbs flank steak
3 tbsp soy sauce
1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
1⁄4 cup rice wine or cooking wine
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp pepper to taste
3 ea scallions, sliced
2 heaping tbsp garlic, chopped
1/4 cup onion, sliced
Nước chấm (dipping sauce):
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sambal olek (fresh chili paste)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp lime juice
1⁄4 cup warm water
2 tbsp butter
Salt/pepper to taste
8 ea Romaine lettuce leaves
1 bunch of cilantro, picked
12 ea rice paper
Procedure:
1. For the marinade, mix soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, wine, fish sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic, and onion in a gallon bag.
2. In the bag, marinate the steak in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to overnight.
3. After marinating, take the steaks out of the bag and pat dry. Let come up to room temperature.
4. While waiting for the steak, prepare the dipping sauce. In a small bowl mix the sugar, chili paste, fish sauce, garlic, and lime juice. At this point, taste the mixture to see if it is to your liking. Add more of whichever flavor you would like to be more prominent. When satisfied add in the warm water to bloom the flavors. Set aside.
5. In a medium sauteuse, heat butter, then sear each steak on both sides. Cook the steaks on each side for about 3 minutes.
6. Take the steak out of the pan and let rest before slicing.
7. For rolling the spring rolls, prepare a station with the lettuce, cilantro, rice papers, and a large heatsafe bowl. Slice the steak against the grain into thin slices. Then bring the steak over the rolling station.
8. Once all the ingredients are set up at the rolling station, heat 2 cups of water until almost boiling and pour into the large bowl on the rolling station. This water is for moistening the rice papers.
9. To start rolling, dip your rice paper into the hot water. When it turns fully translucent, it is ready to use. To the edge of rice paper closest to you, add in strips of steak,cilantro, and lettuce to your liking. Do not overfill rolls or it will not wrap.
11. Next, grab the end of the wrapper closest you and fold in over the filling, close the sides of the paper by bringing them into the center, then roll it up into a tight package. This process is similar to rolling a burrito.
*You can either wrap all the rolls at before eating or roll as you go; just make sure to keep getting more hot water to moisten the rice paper, or it will not stick to itself*
12. Serve the rolls with the nuoc cham.
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