This great southern dish also works well with char su pork. Children love it because they get to roll it themselves. The rice noodle squares are available from most Asian supermarkets. If they are unavailable, you can use rice vermicelli instead.
600 g rump steak
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 red Asian shallots, chopped
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
12 fresh rice noodle squares
1 iceberg lettuce
2 handfuls coriander sprigs
½ handful perilla leaves
1 handful mint sprigs
2½ tablespoons peanut oil
4 spring onions, green part only, sliced
Cut the beef into slices about 1 cm thick and 4–5 cm long. Combine the beef with the garlic, shallots, sugar, black pepper and fish sauce. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
Cut the rice noodle squares in half and arrange on a platter. Separate the lettuce into cups and arrange ona separate plate with the herbs.
Heat a chargrill or barbecue and cook the meat on both sides until done to your liking. We like it medium–rare, although on the streets the meat tends to be well done.
Meanwhile, gently heat the peanut oil and spring onion in a saucepan for 1 minute, or until the spring onion has just wilted. Remove from the heat.
Place the hot beef on the noodle squares and drizzle with the spring onions and peanut oil.
Pick up a lettuce cup and place a noodle square, along with a piece of beef and some spring onion, into the cup. Add some of the coriander, perilla and mint, and roll into a fat log. Serve with the dipping sauce.
