Beef Soup With Lemon Grass(Canh Thit Xao Sa)

* Exported from MasterCook *

BEEF SOUP WITH LEMON GRASS (CANH THIT XAO SA)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vietnamese Soups
Ceideburg 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
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 t Vegetable oil
2 Shallots or white part of 2
-scallions, sliced
3 c Water
1 1/2 Beef bouillon cubes
1 t 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.



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