Lemon cured beef salad (Goi bo tai chanh). Tantalise your taste buds with this mouth-water beef salad.

This beef salad is sensational, it brings fond childhood memories of my uncle and his drinking buddies. They frequently get together on weekends and order ‘Do Nhau’ meaning beer drinking food from the local restaurants. While the other kids were busy entertaining each other, I would sit with the adults and enjoy the food.

This deliciously simple salad of finely sliced beef, cured in lime juice and tossed with fresh herbs is incredible. It’s sweet, sour, slightly salty, soft and crunchy. A perfect balance of textures and flavours, typical example of South-East Asian salad.

If you have concerns eating beef prepared in this method, using grilled beef is a fantastic alternative.



Lemon cured beef salad (Goi bo tai chanh) -by foodaffairvietnam 

300g sirloin, trimmed of fat and sliced as thinly as possible
3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon fine white pepper
2 garlic clove finely chopped and fried until crispy
1/4 cup of shallots, roughly chopped
1/4 cup of coriander, roughly chopped
1/4 cup of saw-leaf coriander, roughly chopped
1 cup of bean sprouts
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced
2 kaffar lime leaves, finely sliced
2 tbsp of lemongrass, finely slice
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
2 tbsp crispy fried Asian eshallots
1 bird’s eye chilli, sliced


Nuoc cham and a wedge of lime to serve

Directions

1. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and stir to combine.
2. Arrange the sirloin on a single layer on a plate and marinate in the lime juice mixture for 10 minutes, ensuring all the meat is covered. Transfer to fridge until ready.
3. Meanwhile, prepare all the herbs and vegetable. Mix the nuoc cham and set a side.
4. Remove the sirloin from the lime mixture and drain the excess juice. Combine with the herbs, chilli, lemongrass, red onion and bean sprouts.
5. Transfer onto a serving plate and garnish with the fried garlic, crispy fried Asian eshallots, peanuts and kaffar lime leaves.
6. Dress with nuoc cham at the table with a squeeze of lime juice.

Ingredients