Beef Soup with Lemon Grass (Canh Thit Xao Sa)

Title:
Beef Soup with Lemon Grass (Canh Thit Xao Sa)

Yield:
3 Servings

Categories:
Vietnamese,
Soups




Ingredients:





     1    Stalk fresh lemon grass or


     1 tb Dried Lemon Grass


          Sprinkling of freshly


          -ground black pepper


     2 ts Fish sauce (nuoc mam)


     1    Clove garlic, chopped


     6 oz Fatty beef chuck, sliced


          -paper thin


     1 ts Vegetable oil


     2    Shallots or white part of 2


          -scallions, sliced


     3 c  Water


 1 1/2    Beef bouillon cubes


     1 ts Salt


     1 tb Fresh coriander (Chinese


          -parsley), chopped


     2    Scallions, green part only,


          -chopped






 Here's a pretty simple Vietnamese beef soup recipe in contrast to the


 recipe for Hanoi Beef Soup.  It doesn't call for hot chilies, but you


 can slice a couple into thin rounds and toss 'em in.  That's kosher


 (if that term can apply...) with any Vietnamese soup.  Add 'em either


 when the soup is brought to it's final boil or just after it's


 removed from the heat.


 


 If you are using fresh lemon grass, simply remove the outer leaves and


 upper two-thirds of the stalk, then chop.  If you are using dried, it


 must be soaked for 2 hours, then drained and chopped fine.


 


 Sprinkle the black pepper, 1 teaspoon of the fish sauce, and chopped


 garlic over the meat; mix well and allow the meat to absorb the


 flavors for a few minutes.


 


 Heat the oil and fry the shallots over a high flame.  Add the lemon


 grass and fry for about 1 minute, then add the meat.  Cook until all


 traces of redness are gone.  Add the water, bring to a boil, and add


 the beef bouillon cubes, remaining 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and salt.


 Immediately before serving, bring the soup to a boil.  Pour into


 bowls and sprinkle with the chopped coriander and scallion.


 


 From "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam", Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman,


 Barron's, 1979.


 


 Posted by Stephen Ceideburg August 28 1990.


 


 File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/cberg2.zip