Bò Nướng Hành Hương (Vietnamese Beef-Onion Roll) #FoodNFlix

This month I am hosting Food'N'Flix and have the group watching Spirited Away. You can read my invitation here. And I will give my thoughts about the movie in another post. It just inspired me to try all sorts of Asian recipes! 

First up: Bò Nướng Hành Hương, the Vietnamese version of Japanese Nikumaki which is beef wrapped around green onions, then grilled. I prefer the Vietnamese version as it has more spices for flavor, giving the meat a sweet, sour, and salty taste. And, perhaps, it's a ubiquitous Asian dish because a friend mentioned that it looked like a Korean BBQ dish.

Ingredients makes 4 servings

• 1 pound beef tenderloin steaks, pounded thin
• 2 green onions
• ½ Tablespoon five spice powder
• ½ Tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil + more for drizzling
• Also needed: 100% cotton twine for tying

Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the beef and green onions. Pour the mixture over the beef and let marinate for thirty minutes in the refrigerator. Remove the beef from the fridge and bring to room temperature, approximately another thirty minutes.

While the meat comes to room temperature, trim the green onions to just an inch longer than the beef. Blanch the onions and set aside.

To assemble, lay the beef on a cutting board and place the green onion in the center. Roll the meat into a tight cylinder and secure with 100% cotton twine. The diameter of the roll should measure no larger than 1½ inches. 

Grease a grill pan and heat until just below the smoking point. Grill the beef for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, searing the meat. Transfer the beef to a platter and drizzle with sesame oil.

Cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Using a sharp knife, slice the rolls into ½" pieces. Serve immediately. I served it with a dipping sauce of gluten-free tamari and sesame oil.

Stay tuned for more Spirited Away-inspired recipes.